Judging the Judges--Should NV Judges be Appointed?/Halverson Update

An article in the RJ says that Nevada attorneys think NV judges should be appointed rather than elected by a 2 to 1 ratio. (Review-Journal) The article discusses the pros and cons of an appointment system from various authorities, all of which boil down to the usual rhetoric: by appointment=citizens judged by an elitist attorney who received seat in undemocratic manner; by election=too many unqualified people get elected to the bench because they can afford big campaign signs.

As reported here before, judicial appointment may soon be a reality in Nevada through a hybrid election-appointment system proposed in a bill before the Nevada Senate. (Review-Journal) Under the proposed system, state judges would be appointed by the Governor and voters would be able to vote "up or down" on each judge after a few years on the bench (i.e. whether to keep or replace the judge based on her record).

Finally, Harmful Error notes that the Nevada Supreme Court has expedited Judge Halverson's Constitutional challenge to her name appearing on the ballot this year. The argument will take place Friday June 13 at 10:30 a.m. and the order is available here. (via Harmful Error)

And since we received a couple of emails and comments about being too mean to suspended Judge Halverson, the blog offers this kind quote about Judge Halverson from former Judge Chairez:

“Unfortunately, she doesn’t have good people skills when she’s being attacked,” says Don Chairez, a former Clark County district judge who originally hired Halverson as a law clerk in 1995. They were law school classmates at the University of Southern California.

“But she did the heavy lifting in that court. When judges had complex issues, they came to her to write their memos. And they got Harvard Law Review-quality work,” says Chairez.

(ABA Journal via Abovethelaw)

So in an effort to make up for my bitchiness, I offer this compliment to Judge Halverson: once you've been permanently removed as a jurist, I'm sure you will make an excellent permanent law clerk for a judge qualified to be on the bench.

[hat tip to Abovethelaw and Harmful Error]