Nevada Supreme Court Hears Michele Fiore's Appeal Against Judicial Suspension

The Nevada Supreme Court heard oral arguments last Thursday in Pahrump Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore's expedited appeal challenging her suspension by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, leaving Nye County's embattled jurist still suspended as the seven-member court adjourned without issuing a decision.

Fiore, appointed to the Pahrump justice of the peace seat by the Nye County Commission in late 2022 and elected to the position in 2023, was suspended indefinitely with pay by the commission on May 19 after a federal jury convicted her on conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Prosecutors had accused Fiore of defrauding donors of tens of thousands of dollars raised to build a statue honoring a slain Metropolitan Police Department officer, alleging she instead spent the funds on personal expenses including rent, plastic surgery, and her daughter's wedding. President Donald Trump later issued a full and unconditional pardon, protecting her from criminal sentencing, but the commission kept the suspension in place.

Her attorney, Paola Armeni, argued before the court that the commission lacked jurisdiction, contending its investigation centered on conduct that predated Fiore's time on the bench and that any remaining concerns rested on convictions effectively erased by the presidential pardon. Armeni also argued that supportive letters submitted on Fiore's behalf, including ones from Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom and former state Sen. Bob Coffin, had not been seriously considered by the commission.

Theresa Shanks, representing the commission, pushed back sharply on the jurisdictional argument. Shanks told the court the commission is not currently pursuing formal disciplinary action but is investigating whether Fiore engaged in conduct while sitting as a judge, such as withholding money tied to her criminal convictions, that could harm public confidence in the judiciary. "A judge shall not violate the law, and the law is not limited to criminal law," Shanks said. "That is Canon 1." She added that the commission is focused on email complaints it received about Fiore's on-the-bench conduct, not on her conduct before she became a judge. The commission has also noted that Fiore provided no evidence she had repaid or intended to repay the donors prosecutors alleged she defrauded.

Fiore's legal team had pressed for expedition in part because of the direct impact on Pahrump's court operations and her 2026 re-election bid. Court filings argued that Pahrump Justice Court has only one other judge and warned that without Fiore's reinstatement, the court would face a growing case backlog while Pahrump taxpayers continued paying for pro tempore judges alongside Fiore's salary. "Without this court's urgent review, her election will be clouded by misinformation given her current suspended status that is the subject of this appeal," her attorneys wrote.

The Nevada Supreme Court agreed in a December 22 order to expedite resolution of the matter "to the extent that its docket permits" but declined at that time to pause the suspension. Three justices separately signed an order staying proceedings before the commission, though multiple interim orders were issued at different points in the case's procedural history. The court gave the commission four weeks to respond to Fiore's appeal and Fiore two weeks to file a reply.

Fiore is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the suspension entirely and order the commission to dismiss the complaint against her. With no ruling issued at the March 5 hearing, a timeline for the court's decision remains unclear.