Judge stepped out of bounds

Mr. Brian Greenspun, with due respect, your July 24 column, “It’s 2022. The judge spoke the truth,” a defense of judge Erika Ballou, missed the point.

Ballou is entitled to her opinion about law enforcement, but the judicial code of conduct requires her to leave political views at home.

As someone who has spent time in a courtroom, Mr. Greenspun, you surely expect to receive a fair shake from judges, even though they may not have liked you or your newspaper. That is because judges must act as umpires, calling balls and strikes, without regard to their view of the teams or players.

Ballou crossed ethical boundaries when she made a disparaging comment about law enforcement officers. As judicial rules explain, “A judge who manifests bias or prejudice in a proceeding impairs the fairness of the proceeding and brings the judiciary into disrepute.” Ballou injected her bias against police officers when she explained, “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.” Ballou’s desire to be an advocate for Black Lives Matter is inconsistent with being a fair and impartial jurist.

Your call for officers to apologize to Ballou is denied. It is you who should apologize to the men and women of law enforcement who protect you and your family.

The writer is president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association.