Monday, February 4, 2013

Lawyer Who Had Relationship With Judge Won't Face Discipline

The State Bar of Nevada has declined to discipline a former prosecutor who had a relationship with embattled Family Court Judge Steven Jones while appearing before him.

The relationship between former Deputy District Attorney Lisa Willardson and Jones led to a Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline complaint last month against the judge, who also is facing a federal indictment in what authorities allege was an unrelated $3 million investment fraud scheme.

Bar Counsel David Clark said  that his organization, which regulates lawyers, told Willardson that it won't sanction her over her relationship with Jones, which began in late 2011.

Clark said he reviewed videotapes of the judge's courtroom and found that Willardson appeared before Jones only during the relationship in uncontested matters that did not harm the integrity of the legal system.

Full Article and Source:
Lawyer Who Had Relationship With Judge Won't Face Discipline

2 comments:

Thelma said...

Doesn't it say somewhere that there should not even be an "appearance of impropriety"?

Betty said...

Right on, Thelma. They both should have been disciplined.

And this is yet another reason why the judicial discipline program is a joke.