Clark County District Court Judge Erika Ballou is facing ethics violation charges after posting controversial photos on social media, including one featuring her in a hot tub with public defenders.
The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline appointed a special counsel who filed formal charges against Judge Ballou on January 24, accusing her of violating rules related to promoting public confidence and avoiding impropriety.
The charges stem from a Facebook photo shared in April 2022, showing Judge Ballou with Clark County Public Defenders Shana Brouwers and Robson Hauser in a hot tub, with a caption deemed inappropriate by the commission.
Another post from September 2021 on Instagram, featuring the judge at a music festival with the hashtag #VacateTheSh*tOuttaOutofCustodyCases, is also under scrutiny.
The commission alleges that Judge Ballou’s social media activity violated rules aimed at ensuring judges maintain impartiality and integrity, refraining from actions that could undermine public confidence. The judge’s posts, according to the commission, created an appearance of impropriety.
However, according to a report by Law & Crime, in response to the news of the ethics charges, Judge Ballou returned to Facebook even harder!
In the new post on the social media platform, she quotes profane lyrics from Cardi B’s song “Get Up 10.” The lyrics included lines like, “Went from makin’ tuna sandwiches to makin’ the news,” and “I started speakin’ my mind and tripled my views. Get money, go hard…”
Judge Ballou, who served as a public defender for 15 years before she was elected a judge in the District Court Civil Criminal Division, has a history of controversy.
In 2022, she made comments about the Las Vegas Police Department’s interaction with Black individuals, causing tension and resulting in calls for her resignation from the police union.
The judge’s remarks included statements about the challenges faced by Black individuals when encountering law enforcement. The Las Vegas Police Protective Association union demanded her resignation and an ethics investigation following these comments.
In a separate incident in 2016, Ballou refused to remove a Black Lives Matter pin after an order from another judge.
A public hearing for the ethics case is pending, and Judge Ballou has the right to appeal the charges to the Nevada Supreme Court.
