A Washoe County judge announced she will step down on Friday after a local attorney obtained a temporary protective order accusing her of stalking, prompting a Reno Police investigation. The district court has removed the judge from her cases and committee work while it reviews the matter. A hearing on whether to extend the protective order is set for February 13. The allegations date back to 2024 and have raised questions about possible undisclosed ties between the judge and attorneys involved in related matters.
What the protection paperwork says
According to reporting by Las Vegas Sun, the attorney who sought protection alleges the conduct began in May 2024 and escalated into a pattern described in a January petition as dozens of intrusive encounters. The filing, the Sun reports, asked the court to halt what it characterized as repeated, targeted behavior that left the attorney fearful and led her to upgrade her home security. The temporary protective order, entered in mid-January, restricts how close the judge can come to the attorney’s home and to specific locations she is known to frequent.
Police stop and the recorded interview
Local television coverage reports that Reno police opened an investigation late last year and conducted surveillance at a fitness studio the complainant visited. Officers say they saw the judge loitering near the surrounding shopping center and later conducted a traffic stop. 2 News reviewed court records that describe a January interview in which the judge allegedly admitted to following the attorney and described part of the activity as “collecting information.” Those interactions, along with Ring-camera footage cited in the filings, form part of the evidentiary record the court relied on when it granted the temporary order.
Court response and internal review
Chief District Judge Egan Walker has removed the judge from all Second Judicial District cases and committee assignments while the court conducts an internal review, according to KOLO. The district is also examining whether the judge’s actions created any undisclosed conflicts in earlier matters, a development detailed by Las Vegas Sun. Court officials have described the review as a fact-finding exercise to determine whether further administrative steps are needed.
Local firm and personnel fallout
The allegations have sent ripples through Reno’s tight-knit legal community. A prominent local attorney connected to the filings resigned from his firm in late January, according to Our Town Reno. The outlet reports that the firm has acknowledged the departure and is reviewing the situation while also aiding the court’s inquiry. The swift personnel shifts highlight how quickly an allegation against a sitting judge can spill over to colleagues, clients and pending cases in a relatively small legal market.
How the oversight process works
In Nevada, complaints about a judge’s conduct can trigger a confidential inquiry and, if the facts support it, a public disciplinary case before the Commission on Judicial Discipline. The Commission’s overview explains that investigators can be contracted to look into allegations and that potential outcomes range from dismissal of a complaint to public censure or removal from office, depending on the findings. For additional background on that system, the Nevada judiciary provides materials on discipline and commissions through the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Commission’s introductory pages on the state’s judicial website.
The next steps in this case are straightforward but significant. The February 13 hearing will determine whether the temporary protective order remains in effect, and the district’s review is expected to conclude whether any administrative or referral actions are warranted, 2 News reports. Hoodline first reported the judge’s January retirement announcement, and that earlier coverage offers additional context. Both the pending investigations and the upcoming court hearing are likely to generate more public records and statements in the weeks ahead.
