A Las Vegas police organization wants a judge to step down over comments about officers, according to reports.
The Las Vegas Police Protective Association (LVPPA) is calling for Clark County Judge Erika Ballou to give up her post after speaking to a defendant in court this week, the New York Post reported Thursday.
“You’re the one making the decisions not to walk away from cops,” Ballou said to the defendant. “You’re a black man in America. You know you don’t want to be nowhere where cops are.”
“You know you don’t want to be nowhere where cops are cause I know I don’t, and I’m a middle-aged, middle-class black woman,” the judge continued, adding, “I don’t want to be around where the cops are because I don’t know I’m going to walk away alive or not.”
In a social media post on Wednesday, the LVPPA shared video footage of the exchange, saying it took “exception” to Ballou’s “disparaging” comments:
On behalf of the men and women of law enforcement, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association takes exception to Judge Erika Ballou's disparaging comments about police officers. We call upon Judge Ballou to resign from the bench. We also ask the Judicial Ethics Commission to sanction her for violating the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct.Among other obligations, the rules require the judiciary to, "[A]spire at all times to conduct that ensures the greatest possible public confidence in their independence, impartiality, integrity, and competence." Judge Ballou has demonstrated that she is biased against law enforcement and cannot live up to the standards required of a jurist.Judge Ballou's comments, from the bench, that she, "does not want to be around where cops are because I don't know whether I am going to walk away alive or not…" are both unethical and irresponsible. Police officers and the law abiding citizens of our community deserve better from the judiciary.YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE BENCH.#removejudgeballou #trashjudge
Posted by Las Vegas Police Protective Association on Wednesday, July 13, 2022
“We also ask the Judicial Ethics Commission to sanction her for violating the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct,” the organization continued, also stating, “YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE BENCH.”
The defendant was reportedly accused of battery against an officer while on probation.
“Even if the cop like came after and was harassing your group, you should have walked away instead of staying,” Ballou added. “You needed to walk away because you knew you were on probation.”
The man was reportedly found in violation of his probation.
Prior to her election, Judge Ballou worked as a public defender for over 15 years, according to the Clark County Courts website.
In September 2016, Ballou was asked to remove a Black Lives Matter pin or leave a courtroom:
“I believe a courtroom is the proper place to make issues about criminal justice. This is not political speech, it’s not supporting a particular candidate,” she claimed.
In May, the radical group Black Lives Matter fumed over the “white supremacist” institution of “policing” once President Joe Biden signed an executive order on policing reforms, Breitbart News reported at the time.
“Maintaining a white supremacist institution like policing costs Black lives,” the group wrote online:
Maintaining a white supremacist institution like policing costs Black lives. This continued commitment by politicians to support our killers makes them accessories to our demise.
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) May 25, 2022
“This continued commitment by politicians to support our killers makes them accessories to our demise,” it continued.
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