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Defense Attorneys' Group Seeks Censure For Hafen

A defense attorneys' group wants a judicial oversight panel to discipline a Las Vegas judge for ordering a public defender handcuffed in court when she wouldn't stop arguing to keep a client out of jail.

Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice accuses Justice of the Peace Conrad Hafen of violating courtroom rules of conduct and of demeaning and humiliating attorney Zohra Bakhtary in the May 23 encounter.

It also cites two other cases in which Hafen held people appearing before him in misdemeanor contempt.

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Neither the judge nor the president of the lawyers' group would talk last week about the complaint.

Bakhtary referred questions to her lawyer, who says they're not a party to the complaint.

Hafen has said he wanted to teach Bakhtary a lesson about courtroom decorum and etiquette.