Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General, Aaron Ford, is under scrutiny for sponsoring a clemency bid for Norman Smith, a convicted killer. Smith was accused of murdering a pregnant woman while out on bail for a series of armed robbery attacks on tourists in Las Vegas.
State records show Ford was the sole sponsor for Smith’s commutation application at a Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners meeting on September 16. Despite Ford’s sponsorship, the board denied the clemency request. Ford did not attend the hearing, citing a family medical emergency, and declined to explain his decision when questioned at a Las Vegas airport.
Ford’s involvement has become a point of contention in his campaign to become Nevada’s governor. Republican Governor Joe Lombardo has critiqued Ford’s record on public safety and criminal justice reform.
Ford’s team described sponsoring an application as a routine procedural step, but did not clarify why Ford chose to elevate Smith’s case. FOX News Digital pressed Ford’s campaign on his son’s health issues, but received no details.
Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners rules require a board member to sponsor an inmate’s clemency application for it to receive a full hearing and vote. Ford elevated Smith’s case from an administrative queue to the state agenda.
Norman Smith was on bail facing 14 charges related to armed robbery when he shot and killed Tineshea Adams, a pregnant woman. Although initially charged with murder, Smith was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and armed robbery. He is serving a 10-to-39-year prison sentence.
Republican strategist Matt Gorman criticized Ford’s refusal to answer questions, remarking on Ford’s swift departure from the airport. Gorman argued that Ford’s silence is concerning given his role as Nevada’s top law enforcement officer.
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