Las Vegas Judge Responds to Ethics Charges with Cardi B Lyrics AmιԀst Hоt Tub PҺσtσ Controversy

Las Vegas District Court Judge Erika Ballou, currently facing ethics violations for her social media posts, including one featuring her in a hоt tub with public defenders, has responded to potential discipline with defiant lyrics from a Cardi B song, proclaiming, “Get money, go hard, you’re [expletive] right.”

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline formally filed charges against Judge Erika Ballou, citing two instances. One post suggested that cases with non-custodial defendants should be dismissed, and another involved a hоt tub photo with public defenders, accompanied by explicit language.

In the commission’s statement, Ballou’s Instagram post from Sept. 19, 2021, was highlighted. The caption hinted at the dismissal of out-of-custody cases and included hashtags like “Vacatethe[Explitive]OuttaOutofCustodyCases” and “WhereInTheWorldisCarmenSanDiego.”

Ballou, however, chose not to comment on the investigative reporting by 8 News Now. Instead, she shared a Facebook post over the weekend quoting Cardi B’s “Get Up 10,” acknowledging her rising prominence and unapologetic expression of her views.

The commission’s charges allege that Ballou violated rules pertaining to maintaining public confidence, avoiding impropriety, prioritizing judicial duties over personal activities, and demonstrating impartiality.

A second count in the charges refers to a Facebook post from April 2022, where Ballou posted a phоto in a hоt tub with public defenders, referring to one by a derogatory term. This post was deemed to viоlate rules similar to the first count.

As of Sunday, a public hearing for Ballou’s ethics case had not been scheduled.

Erika Ballou, elected in November 2020 and sworn in as a judge in January 2021, previously faced criticism in July 2022 when the Las Vegas Police Protective Association called for her resignation and an ethics investigation over comments she made about police officers.

Ballou, a former public defender and social justice organizer, had affiliations with the Democratic Socialists of America. She gained national attention in 2016 when she refused to remove a Black Lives Matter pin, defying a judge’s order.

Contacted about the hоt tub photo, the Clark County public defender’s office had not responded as of Sunday. Ballou’s history of controversy and her unapologetic response set the stage for a potentially contentious ethics hearing.