Las Vegas juvenile judge orders teen to strip

[Nevernose]

Hearing master's orders left teen in his underwear during court proceedings
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Aug-28-Sat-2004/news/24644034.html

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A videotape released Friday shows a Family Court official ordering a teen to disrobe in open court because she didn't like a T-shirt he was wearing.

On the tape, Hearing Master Sylvia Beller is heard telling the 16-year-old boy to take his shirt off during his Aug. 6 sentencing on a graffiti charge.

"Take your shirt off," Beller said. "You can just walk out of here without a shirt on."

The boy takes off his shirt, and Beller orders a bailiff to take the boy into custody. The boy is handcuffed, and then Beller tells the bailiff to remove the boy's belt from his pants.

"You might as well take the belt and let his pants fall off," Beller said. "You are going to take the belt anyway.

"Take the belt," Beller said. "Get rid of that belt. He can just walk back there (to jail) holding his pants up."

The bailiff tells Beller that if the belt is removed, the boy's pants might fall down because he is in handcuffs.

"Oh well," Beller said. "Take him back. I don't want him in here anymore."

The boy's belt is removed, and his pants fall to the ground, leaving him standing in open court in his underwear. The boy spent the next four days in jail.

Contacted Friday, Public Defender Phil Kohn said Beller should be removed from office.

"I was appalled by it," Kohn said. "The humiliation of getting this boy down to his boxer shorts is indefensible."

Kohn, whose office represented the teen, said Beller has a reputation among lawyers as someone who is verbally abusive to both defendants and litigants.

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Voy said in court Friday the teen's only criminal history consists of misdemeanor offenses.

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On a persoanl note, I've worked in this lady's courtroom -- total freaking psycho. Little regard for a defendant's rights, little regard for legal procedure. The article cites her as being a known menace to Defendants; it neglects to mention that she is a known menace to law enforcement (namely probation, parole, police, and District Attorney's office) as well.

And, if he got this far in the process, he's probably a little monster and deserved at least a few days in jail. No one deserves to be humiliated, though.

[nikatnyte]

1. What was the matter with the T-shirt?

Did it have a political statement on it (that's what I was expecting)? Then there would REALLY be basis for a lawsuit!

[struggle4progress]

12. Las Vegas Hearing Master Accused Of Abusing Her Authority

August 27th, 2004

<snip>
Three weeks ago, Sylvia Beller was hearing the disposition of a boy in court for graffiti. Take a look at what happens when Beller asks the teen what "G-Unit" means on his shirt.

"It's a rapper's name."

"What is it? Is it a gang rapper?"

"You honor, I just told him that the T-shirt was inappropriate, but I don't know exactly what it is."
<snip>

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=2229897&nav=15MVQKX3

[7th_Sephiroth]

2. this judge must go

what a horrible horrible person

[Nevernose]

4. They won't fire her

She's a hearing master, not one of the standard elected judges. At the juvenile level, they work criminal, too -- they're just transferring her over to divorce/custody.

[wackywill]

10. Term limits defined:

A high powered rifle with a good scope.

just kidding of course

[lazarus]

15. "they're just transferring her over to divorce/custody."

Yeah, we need more psychos in the family court system. Yikes! This woman should be disbarred and fired.

[1monster]

16. Great. As if those who are divorcing and/or going through custody

heareing in our system don't already have enough problems.

:eyes:

[Nordic]

3. there are many judges in Vegas who are quite corrupt

from first-hand info that I've had access to

It's probably hopeless.

Vegas is a gangster version of Pottersville.

[Nevernose]

5. Worse than corrupt; incompetent.

[leesa]

6. Did she enjoy it?

We have some sick judges we need removed from office all around the country.

[daleo]

7. Well there was the masturbator judge, recently

This one makes you wonder too.

[orthogonal]

8. Is the judge related to Hans Frank?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Frank

[antigone382]

9. Judge Judy has a sister?

n/t

[WLKjr]

11. Pedophile in hiding?

Must be a republican too././....

[struggle4progress]

13. Disrobing leads to official's suspension

Saturday, August 28, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

<snip>
The Review-Journal has learned Beller has been suspended for a month without pay and she has been removed from future court proceedings involving juveniles.

Beller has been a hearing master since 1991, and she earns $131,366 a year. She has not responded to two separate requests for comment.

Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, called Beller's actions "as outrageous a misuse of power as I have ever seen."

"This was not anything to do with justice," Lichtenstein said. "This was bullying, and an attempt to demean an individual's sense of dignity."
<snip>

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Aug-28-Sat-2004/news/24644034.html

[mrbassman03]

14. Good, that is ridiculous

About time these people got some punishment... now time to go after the police that do this...

[Vladimir]

17. Too lenient by half... n/t

[Nevernose]

18. UPDATE

According to my sources, she was only "sort of" suspended for a month, as they're including this summer's two week vacation as part of it, so it's really only a two week suspension. The phrases being used in and around the judge's chambers are apparently "slap on the wrist" and "when the media dies down."

They tried to FIRE the public defender for not speaking up on the kid's behalf, but the DA's office apparently mentioned the fact that only someone willing to commit professional suicide would speak up in Beller's court -- she'd rule against his next 20 defendants just out of spite. He got a one-month suspension, too, but w/o taking his vacation into consideration.

She also has judicial immunity for her actions, which is pretty much what it sounds like -- she and the county can't be sued.

Norm, the bailiff involved and the only one who spoke out, is 6'8", 250 lbs., eats nails for breakfast, and can be one of the nicest people around. I have seen him and several other bailiffs there, on multiple occasions, remind hearing masters of what they can and can't do. Bill Henderson, currently a hearing master running for justice of the peace, is the worst of the bunch, appointed primarily because his girlfriend, Judge Cheryl Moss, was the Family Court's head judge, a yearly rotating position.

It's assholes like these who give the judicial system such a bad rap -- MOST of the cops and lawyers and judges and file clerks and probation officers and social workers are decent, upstanding individuals out trying every day to make a difference in the lives of their communities and their clients.