A controversial Las Vegas judge nominated herself to serve on a grand jury weeks before her unpaid suspension from the bench , according to a source.

District Judge Erika Ballou nominated herself at a Sept. 10 judges’ meeting, the source said. In order to do so, she would have received notice by mail that she was selected as a potential grand juror and returned a form.

The grand jury selection process is governed by state law that requires court clerks in counties with 100,000 or more people to mail prospective grand jurors a questionnaire until they can find “100 qualified persons who are willing to serve.”

The list of people who have agreed to serve then goes to district judges, who meet and select grand jurors, according to the statute.

The judge in charge of impaneling the grand ju

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