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Opinion
May. 19, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Big day at the courthouse

Embattled judge shows, pop star doesn't

It's hard to figure what was the bigger news Friday down at the Regional Justice Center: The fact that Michael Jackson didn't show up or that Elizabeth Halverson did.

Jacko was supposed to testify this week in a Las Vegas case he brought to stop an auction featuring Jackson family memorabilia. But after security concerns were raised, the court sanctioned his testimony via video link.

And in the end, the pop star didn't testify at all. Instead, his attorneys withdrew their effort to kill the auction.

But while Jackson was a no-show, Halverson was not.

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    • The District Court judge was banned from the courthouse last week after violating security protocol. But on Thursday, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Judge Halverson could return to work on Friday -- which she did.

    It was the latest in a string of controversies involving Judge Halverson, who was elected to the bench in November. Before being banned from the courthouse -- that allegation was that she hired two personal bodyguards and allowed them to bypass court security -- Judge Halverson had been removed from all criminal cases due to concerns about her competence.

    In addition, Chief District Judge Kathy Hardcastle had ordered Judge Halverson to meet with three veteran judges to discuss her performance.

    The Halverson mess has given momentum to those who seek to abolish judicial elections in Nevada in favor of an appointment process. But appointing judges rather than electing them does not guarantee an able judiciary.

    And, in fact, Judge Halverson will face the voters again in 2008. If she's still in office then -- her critics surely know that state law sets out procedures for removing a sitting judge midterm -- it's our guess that the wisdom of the electorate will be confirmed.



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    John O'Neill wrote on May 19, 2007 07:56 AM: Yea sure!
    We really want judges to be "appointed" by others in the club.

    What we really want are thinkers who can shake the tree. Most judges think alike because they are lawyers and most lawyers think alike. They all agree to argue; they all agree there are two sides. The all agree that there are no clear cut answers to anything.
    Ask a lawyer if it is daytime where she is standing at 12:00 noon and she will answer you with a question.

    Law school, the ABA, the LSAT and their requirements to think in a certain, fixed, rigid way, actually damages these people’s brains.

    Some of the best lawyers in the country are trained in California and Massachusetts, because those are two of the few states that do not require bar applicants to attend an "ABA approved" law school and many of the Non-aba Schools do not care about your LSAT scores.

    Try to become a member of the bar in Nevada without that ABA school attendance; it will take 10 plus years of practicing and a lot of luck.

    Other lawyers in Nevada will cry and whine:"ABA accreditation protects the public from incompetent lawyers" They are better law schools...

    Hmmm did Jefferson go to an ABA approved law school, or Black?

    Prior to August 21st 1878 the legal system was safe, after that day, the day the ABA formed, we began a downward spiral.
    Just read the stated goals of the ABA and take note of number 2 and 9.

    It spews platitudes while spitting in our faces.