Massaging the judiciary

Since 1994 I can't recall having had a sympathetic thought about O. J. Simpson. But I came as close to having one as I could--which is still pretty far from close--when I heard of his legal troubles in Nevada. The Nevada judicial system falls somewhat short of the ideal. More specifically, it is heavily politicized with a number of judges who, to put it gently, do not appear to have been selected on the basis of merit.

Consider district court judge Elizabeth Halverson. Her bailiff has complained, according to Governing magazine, that she "demanded that he give her foot massages and back rubs." She has been stopped by the county's chief judiciary officer, Kathy Hardcastle, from hearing criminal cases, because of what Hardcastle calls her "seemingly ... angry, paranoid and bizarre behavior towards staff."

Halverson does seem a bit short of judicial temperament. On the other hand, the complexities of the Nevada judiciary are illustrated by the fact that Ms. Hardcastle may be less than objective, having previously punished Halverson when Halverson was planning to run for a family court judgeship against Hardcastle's husband.

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