Activist Clark County Judge Censured for Social Media Posts and Comments About Police

Clark County District Court Judge Erika Ballou will be publicly censured and required to take a course on judicial and social ethics following a series of controversial social media posts, including photos of her in a hot tub with public defenders and derogatory comments about police. The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline filed the order on June 11 after Ballou admitted to violating several ethics rules.

The commission determined that Ballou’s actions violated three key judicial ethics rules: maintaining public confidence and avoiding the appearance of impropriety, prioritizing judicial duties over personal activities, and demonstrating impartiality in her role.

As part of the disciplinary agreement, Ballou is required to attend an online course on judicial and social media ethics.

Earlier this year, the commission issued a formal statement of charges against Ballou. Last month, the Nevada Supreme Court ordered her removed from a criminal trial, citing her failure to comply with two previous orders from the state’s high court.

When Judge Ballou was a card carrying Socialist, Black Lives Matter activist, and Clark County Public Defender, she caused controversy in the courtroom for wearing a Black Lives Matter pin on her blouse. When asked by the presiding judge to remove the pin, Ballou protested and issued this statement: “If you think that Black Lives Matter is anti-police, ask yourself if police are anti-Black Lives. In a free country, I shouldn’t be afraid of the police, but I am.”

Last July, The Globe obtained exclusive footage and broke the story of Judge Ballou, spewing anti-police rhetoric in her courtroom during a criminal trial. In the video, Ballou tells a black defendant, “[As a black woman], I don’t want to be around where cops are because I don’t know if I am going to walk away alive or not.”

Following our report, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association called for her resignation and an ethics investigation. Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who is now Nevada’s governor, also called for her resignation.

Last month, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson filed a petition requesting Ballou’s removal from all criminal cases prosecuted by his office, labeling her conduct as “egregious.” The petition is currently under review.

Ballou served as a public defender for over 15 years before becoming a judge in 2021. She will continue to serve until the end of her current term in 2027.

A spokesperson for the district court stated that Ballou was unavailable for comment.