“Las Vegas Judge Erika Ballou Faces Ethics Complaint for Social Media Posts”
Las Vegas Judge Erika Ballou is under scrutiny as the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline files a formal ethics complaint against her. The complaint cites two instances of alleged misconduct related to Judge Ballou’s social media activity, claiming that her posts have eroded public confidence in the judiciary.
The first incident occurred in September 2021 when Judge Ballou posted a statement about her judicial duties on Instagram. The commission alleges that the post, which included a reference to a pending court calendar and a seemingly inappropriate hashtag, violated multiple Canons of the Revised Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct.
The second count in the complaint stems from an April 2022 Facebook post where Judge Ballou shared a photo of herself in a hot tub with two public defenders, accompanied by a caption that drew attention to one of the defenders. The commission asserts that this post violated Canons related to maintaining the integrity, independence, and impartiality of the judiciary.
This is not the first time Judge Ballou has faced public criticism. In 2022, the Las Vegas Police Protection Association called for her resignation after she made controversial comments to a Black defendant, advising him to stay away from the police. The association expressed concerns about her ability to preside fairly over cases involving law enforcement officers as victims.
Judge Ballou has chosen not to comment on the recent ethics complaint, and the Clark County Public Defender’s Office has not provided a statement. The judge’s previous controversial statements and social media posts have sparked debates about the impact of personal biases on the judicial bench.
In hot water! Female Las Vegas judge poses in a HOT TUB with two public defenders in their swimsuits with the caption ‘he’s surrounded by great t*ts’ https://t.co/Yijq7XtOHm pic.twitter.com/U6KswByzsv
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) January 29, 2024