In Business Las Vegas

Law and Utilities

Two-year term rubs Halverson wrong way

By Stephanie Tavares / Staff Writer

District Judge Elizabeth Halverson, who is running for reelection while facing a dismissal hearing by the Judicial Discipline Commission, filed a petition calling for her term to be extended beyond the two-year term to which she was elected.

A Supreme Court petition asks the court to throw out the two-year terms of District Court judges.

The petition was filed May 5.

Gentile and Halverson did not return calls and e-mails seeking comment.

The petition calls for the Supreme Court to throw out a 2005 law, created by the Legislature at the request of the Supreme Court, which limited raises for judges and changed the length of the new District Court judges' first terms from the six years called for in the Nevada Constitution to two years.

The petition calls the law unconstitutional because it effectively changes the constitution without voter approval.

Tts language indicates the embattled judge would like both an extension of her term and a raise.

The petition also questions the legality of a 2007 law which would reduce the number of Family Court seats in the Eighth Judicial District from six to four "to increase the moneys paid to these District Court judges."

The Nevada Constitution explicitly allows the Legislature to increase or decrease the number of districts and judicial seats.

Halverson faces a dismissal hearing June 9. She has been accused of falling asleep in court, having improper communication with juries (leading to at least one mistrial), abusing her staff and being generally incompetent.

She has been on paid suspension for nearly a year.

Halverson's term is set to expire in December, however she is running for reelection. She can continue to do so (and be reelected) unless she is dismissed by the commission and loses all her appeals.

Lawyers across Las Vegas celebrated Law Day this year by reaching out to schoolchildren.

Numerous local attorneys left their offices for a day to speak to children about their careers, what it's like to be a lawyer and what they need to do to become lawyers.

The intent is to encourage more local students to pursue a career in law.

The following lawyers participated in the program:

Karen Cliffe and Alan Bennett of the Clark County district attorney's office; Benjamin Childs and Charlene Boone of Benjamin B. Childs Ltd.; Fran Fine of the Fine Law Group; Rebecca P. Wallace; Wendy Kazel; Family Court Judge Jennifer Elliott; George Carter of George R. Carter & Associates; Michael Hotman of Stephenson & Dickinson Law Office; U.S. District Judge Lloyd George; Cam Ferenbach, Elizabeth Brickfield, Doreen Harwell and Lucas J. Tucker of Lionel Sawyer & Collins; Rena McDonald of McDonald Law Group; Heather Anderson-Fintak of Nevada Legal Services; Shea Backus of Backus Carranza; Jason Naimi of Naimi & Dilbeck; Ellen Bezian; Loren Young of Lincoln, Gustafson, & Cercos; Michael Ray Carrigan of Kolias Law Offices; Magistrate Judge Robert Johnston; Robert Spretnak; Radford Smith; Anna Jane Zarndt of Jolley Urga Wirth Woodbury & Standish, Allison Herr of the Herr Group; Travis Barrick of Peel Brimley; Joanna Kishner of DLA Piper US LLP; Patrice Eichman of the State Bar of Nevada; Shannon Nordstrom of Lipson, Neilson, Cole Seltzer & Garin; Paul Turner of the federal public defender's office; Lucien Cravens; Jordan Savage, Christy Craig, Kristine Kuzemka and Alexander Hubert of the Clark County public defender's office; Africa Sanchez; Carol Griffin of the Law Office of Carolina Gamero Griffin; Jorge Sanchez of Phillips Spallas & Angstadt; and Kendelee Leascher of Marquis & Aurbach.

The Nevada Supreme Court was expected to induct lawyers into the State Bar this week in Carson City.

Applicants who passed the February bar examination were invited to participate on May 5.

The Washoe County Bar Association hosted a reception after the ceremony in the rotunda of the Nevada Supreme Court.

New Bar Association rules on administering trust accounts go into effect this month.

The Nevada Supreme Court changed rules on lawyers trust accounts last year and ordered new rules to go into effect May 1.

The rules change the program from an "opt-out" program to a comprehensive program in which all attorneys with trust accounts must participate.

From now on, interest from short-term or small-scale accounts will be automatically transferred to a foundation for distribution to legal services agencies.

The mandatory program is meant to help fund legal services for Nevada's low-income population, to assist victims of domestic violence and children in Juvenile Court.

Stephanie Tavares covers utilities and law for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4059 or tavares@lasvegassun.com.

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