labor lawAdivision of labor law center

 A deputy sheriff in Georgia, his father – who is a former judge – and his wife have been indicted for slavery in an explosive employment case.

The accused 43-year-old man is a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Deputy. His 42-year-old wife and 72-year old father have all been charged by a federal grand jury. The charges include human trafficking, witness tampering, making false statements and harboring an alien, according to US Attorney David Nahmias.

Prosecutors contend that the Georgia couple hired a nanny from India in early 2003. Once the woman was in this country,  they stopped paying her and threatened to lock her up if she quit working for them. They held her for 18 months. The woman, alone and unable to contact friends and family in India, apparently believed the couple because of the man’s position as a Deputy and his father’s status as a former judge.

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Judges normally make rulings on discrimination suits, rather than cause them. But a Nevada judge is turning that truism on its ear. The judge has been charged with creating a hostile work environment and treating courtroom staff like personal servants. In turn, she alleges that the real problem is discrimination based on her physical condition.

According to testimony in a judiciary hearing, Judge Elizabeth Halverson requires employees – specifically her bailiff and court reporters — to perform personal services for her ranging from foot rubs and back massages to covering her with her “blankie” for naps. Halverson’s former bailiff says the judge’s treatment left him feeling like a houseboy. When he complained, the bailiff was asked, “Do you want to worship me from near or afar?”

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