Judge Steven Jones' romance allegations to come before panel

After months of delays, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline finally gets a chance Monday to hear allegations that suspended Family Court Judge Steven Jones mishandled a romantic relationship with a prosecutor who appeared before him.

Jones plans to hold back no punches in his bid to avoid losing his longtime seat on the bench.
He has subpoenaed a slew of fellow judges, including Chief District Judge Jennifer Togliatti and Chief Family Court Judge Gloria O’Malley, to testify during his defense in the weeklong hearing in the boardroom of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“Judge Jones looks forward to working with the Judicial Discipline Commission to demonstrate his continued fitness as a sitting judge,” said his lead lawyer, James J. Jimmerson.

Jones fought to derail the hearing for months, arguing the commission violated its own rules and his due process rights during its investigation into the misconduct allegations.

Attorneys for the commission have their own headliners waiting in the wings to testify at the hearing, including former District Attorney David Roger and the two deputies who helped expose the relationship between Jones and the prosecutor, Lisa Willardson.

Roger removed Willardson from handling child abuse and neglect cases before Jones after the relationship became public in October 2011 and appeared to invite a professional conflict of interest for both Willardson and the judge.

Roger later fired Willardson.

More than a year later, in December 2012, commission attorneys filed a 12-count complaint against Jones, accusing him of violating Nevada’s Judicial Code of Conduct.

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Judge Steven Jones' romance allegations to come before panel

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