Embattled judge boots murder victims’ family, threatens to have Review-Journal reporter arrested
A judge serving his last few months on the bench ejected relatives of murder victims from his courtroom Tuesday and threatened to have a Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter arrested during an otherwise routine hearing.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Conrad Hafen, who lost his bid for re-election in June after the newspaper reported a series of stories about his decision to handcuff a deputy public defender in his courtroom, also refused to give a Review-Journal photographer access to the courtroom, even though television news cameras were allowed in.
The judge’s marshal specifically instructed the newspaper’s reporter not to use a cellphone in the courtroom for any purpose, even audio recording, which is typically permitted throughout the Regional Justice Center. The marshal said the reporter would be handcuffed and taken into custody if he used the phone. Meanwhile, several others in the courtroom continued to operate cellphones.
“Courts are presumed to be open and obligated to be fair,” said Review-Journal Editor J. Keith Moyer. “The Review-Journal will aggressively contest any attempt to limit public access to our justice system.”
Read more: http://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/embattled-judge-boots-victims-family-threatens-have-rj-reporter-arrested