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 2-10-14
Inside Vegas - Steve Miller

Steve Miller is a former Las Vegas City Councilman. In 1991, the readers of the Las Vegas Review Journal voted him the "Most Effective Public Official" in Southern Nevada. Visit his website at: http://www.SteveMiller4LasVegas.com


Bad Judges Vacate Bench After Probes By
Nevada Commission On Judicial Discipline

.
                  Steven Jones                                                         Jackie Glass

Judges should maintain the dignity of judicial office at all times, and avoid both impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in their professional and personal lives. They should aspire at all times to conduct that ensures the greatest possible public confidence in their independence, impartiality, integrity, and competence. - Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct [2]

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
February 10, 2014

LAS VEGAS - When it comes to bad judges, Las Vegas has had more than its fair share.

Since Nevada Federal Judge Harry Claiborne was impeached by the United States House of Representatives on July 22,1986, several other members of the Nevada judiciary have followed in Claiborne's corrupt footsteps, but most of their transgressions were overlooked and few have suffered any form of repercussion. Unfortunately, their misdeeds reflect poorly on the worthy men and women who serve us on the bench.

When a local judge violates the public's trust in a way so brazen as to attract the attention of the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, they can be encouraged to leave the bench as was the case with Clark County District Court Judges Steven Jones and Jackie Glass, two names that should be familiar to long time readers of INSIDE VEGAS.

Within the past three years, Jones and Glass violated the public's trust, inspired investigations by the Commission, and left the bench under a cloud. But there's something the two ex-judges also have in common, both judges were exposed doing favors for the Rizzolo crime family.

Jones' history: http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/3-16-09_Inside_Vegas.html

Glass' history: http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/6-21-10_Inside_Vegas.html

The Judicial Discipline Commission has very limited powers and can only sanction a sitting judge, and has rarely removed a judge from the bench forcibly.  If a judge volunteers to leave the bench prior to the Commission's ruling, the Commission loses jurisdiction and cannot take action against a private citizen. This was the case with ex-Judge Glass who resigned six months after being elected to her third term thereby escaping public scrutiny for alleged misdeeds on the bench.

In current Judge Steve Jones' case, on February 3, 2014, the Commission found him guilty of violating rules of the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct that require judges to avoid the appearance of impropriety and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary. In the face of this decision, Jones has stubbornly refused to resign and will continue to draw his $17,000 per month salary until the end of his term in December, though he's suspended from hearing cases. His action inspired the Las Vegas Review-Journal to call for his resignation.

Jones was first elected to Family Court in 1993.

Judge Jones' troubles began on June 21, 2006 when he was arrested for domestic battery. Then on October 30, 2012, Jones and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury in a $3 million investment fraud scheme. This case is still pending.

Separate from the above charges, on February 3, 2014, prosecutors proved on three counts that Judge Jones was having a secret affair with Clark County Prosecutor Lisa Willardson between October and December 2011. Two of the counts alleged Jones continued the relationship with Willardson while she litigated child welfare cases before him and he did not disqualify himself from the cases while issuing several rulings in her favor long after they had begun to date. (On December 4, 2013, Jones discovered Willardson dead in her home. The cause of death has not been determined.)

In Judge Glass' case, on March 14, 2011, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline began investigating a complaint that she denied arrest warrants issued against clients of her husband Steven Wolfson's former criminal defense law firm. Evidence indicated she squelched criminal charges against defendants represented by her husband, then stopped a state probe of her actions by suddenly resigning from the bench and taking a job on CBS TV as judge on "Swift Justice."

Glass was first elected to District Court in 2003.

Based on solid evidence, INSIDE VEGAS on May 30, 2011 published the confidential Judicial Discipline complaint against Judge Glass with Exhibits.

Two weeks later on June 10, Judge Glass shocked the legal community by resigning from the bench, this after an 8 1/2 year tenure, and less than six months after she was re-elected to her third term.

Swift Justice was canceled near the end of the second season due to low ratings. Glass returned to Las Vegas and resumed her private law practice. On January 24, 2012, the Clark County Commission appointed her husband Steven Wolfson as District Attorney.

Because of Glass' resignation from the bench, the Judicial Discipline Commission was no longer authorized to rule whether she violated any Code of Judicial Conduct, dropped the case, and her record as a judge remains officially untarnished with few knowing the underlying story.

But there's no doubt Jones and Glass clearly violated RULE 2.4 of the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct, External Influences on Judicial Conduct (B): "A judge shall not permit family, social, political, financial, or other interests or relationships to influence the judge's judicial conduct or judgment."

I believe our city is a safer place without them on the bench.

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   Judge Jones' mugshot                               Promo from Judge Glass' failed TV show

MORE INFORMATION on "Judge" Steve Jones:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/family-court-judge-suspended-three-months-without-pay
http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorial-unfit-bench
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/suspended-family-court-judge-steven-jones-withdrawing-re-election-bid
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/judge-s-romantic-interest-found-dead
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/clark-county-family-court-judge-steven-jones-faces-federal-indictment
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/3-16-09_Inside_Vegas.html
 

MORE INFORMATION on "Judge" Jackie Glass:
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/JudgeGlassJudicialDisciplineComplaint.jpg
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/JudgeGlassConflictPg1HiRes.jpg
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/JudgeGlassConflictPg4.HiRes.jpg
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/5-31-11_Inside_Vegas.html
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/6-21-10_Inside_Vegas.html
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/1-5-09_Inside_Vegas.html



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Copyright © Steve Miller


email Steve Miller at: Stevemiller4lv@aol.com





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