HOT TUB JUDGE ISSUED ILLEGAL MEDICAID ABORTION RULING

March 25, 2024

Self-proclaimed Socialist Democrat Nevada District Court Judge Erika Ballou issued the unconstitutional Medicaid abortion ruling last week. The same judge is under investigation by the Commission on Judicial Discipline for several ethics violations. Unfortunately, the Nevada Supreme Court unethically ruled judges cannot be recalled a few years ago. It was unethical because it directly affected the judges’ power, blocking the public from recalling them, an obvious conflict of interest that should have been left to the voters and legislature.

In 2021, according to the Commission on Judicial Discipline Judge Ballou violated her ethical duties when she

excused a defendant’s decision to flee from police in a vehicle pursuit on the Las Vegas Strip… [chastising] the prosecutor stating, ‘[a]nd there being no reason to run from the police, clearly you’re not a Black person in the United States of America, because there are absolute reasons to run from the police.’ Later in the sentencing hearing, Judge Ballou explained, ‘[s]o just as someone who, you know, has lived in the United States as a Black person, that’s absolutely an untrue statement that he didn’t have any reason to run.’”

In 2022, Judge Ballou was again found guilty by the commission for violating the “impartiality of the judiciary” when she said:

“You’re the one making the decision not to walk away from cops. You’re a Black man in America. You know you don’t want to be nowhere where cops are,” Ballou said. “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. I don’t want to be around where the cops are because I don’t know if I’m going to walk away alive or not.”

Then just last year, Judge Ballou was in the limelight for posting a racy picture of herself in a hot tub with public defenders Shana Brouwers and Robson Hauser, with the caption, ‘Robson is surrounded by great t***,’”. Again, she is now under investigation by the Commission on Ethics. In response to the charges, sitting judge Ballou said on social media, with lyrics from a Cardi B song, including the words:

“Get money, go hard, you’re [expletive] right.”

Fast forward to last week, when Judge Ballou issued a ruling striking down the state’s limits on Medicaid coverage for abortion services, saying the restrictions violate equal rights protections. Her ruling would require the state to pay for all abortions, not just those the legislature approved, which are pregnancies that are life-threatening or result from rape or incest.

Judge Ballou’s ruling directs the Nevada State Department of Health and Human Services to pay through Medicaid coverage for all abortions. This is a blatant violation of the Nevada State Constitution because only the Legislature can approve the spending of state tax dollars. A judge cannot compel the state to spend money. Not even the Democrat-controlled Legislature under Democrat Gov. Sisolak ever approved spending tax dollars directly on ALL abortions in Nevada.

For those of you who went to CCSD schools, the legislature is the only branch of the government that can approve spending tax dollars. The governor and judiciary cannot write and/or issue appropriation bills to spend tax dollars. Judges like Ballou certainly do not have that power. But that’s what you can expect from a socialist Democrat who rejects the limits the Constitution places on them. Too many woke judges issue rulings based on their sense of fairness, not the law.

Unfortunately, Judge Ballou is not up for reelection until 2027, and the Commission on Judicial Discipline refuses to get rid of her. Its time to revisit the people’s authority to recall judges