The Nevada Supreme Court intervened on Wednesday to temporarily halt disciplinary proceedings against Pahrump Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore.
In a two-page order, the justices granted an emergency stay of the proceedings initiated by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline.
This stay is effective pending the outcome of a challenge filed by Fiore’s attorneys on June 16.
Furthermore, the court instructed the commission to provide clarity on its jurisdiction concerning its ability to proceed with a formal complaint against Fiore and allowed 28 days for the commission to respond.
Following this, Fiore’s attorneys will have 14 days to reply after receiving the commission’s answer.
Attorney Paola Armeni, representing Fiore, expressed her satisfaction with the justices’ decision.
In a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Armeni emphasized, “Jurisdiction is pivotal in determining whether the commission can even discipline Judge Fiore.”
She continued, “So the stay allows this pivotal decision to be made before the commission attempts to discipline the judge. The cart can’t come before the horse.”
The commission’s representative did not respond to requests for comments.
Fiore was elected to her position in June 2023.
Earlier this year, on April 23, she received a full and unconditional pardon from President Donald Trump after being convicted on federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
In October, a jury found Fiore guilty of defrauding donors out of tens of thousands of dollars that had been raised between 2019 and 2020 for a statue honoring a Metropolitan Police Department officer who died in 2014.
The charges against her were officially vacated ahead of her scheduled sentencing on May 14.
On May 19, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline made the decision to suspend Fiore indefinitely with pay while awaiting final rulings on other complaints against her, including the one at the center of this dispute.
Fiore’s legal team contends that her alleged misconduct occurred before she assumed her role as Pahrump’s justice of the peace and should not disqualify her from holding the position.
However, the commission argues that Fiore has failed to demonstrate any intent to repay the defrauded donors.
The commission indicated that Fiore’s “continuing deceit” towards the donors, alongside her unjust enrichment from the statue endeavor, damages public trust in the judicial system.
Additionally, they noted that the pardon from Trump further undermines her credibility and ability to fairly impose justice and uphold the law.
Fiore has since filed an appeal against her suspension.
In June, she received the commission’s formal complaint and was required to respond by July 10.
However, her attorneys argued in an emergency motion filed on June 26 that responding to the complaint posed a significant dilemma for Fiore.
“If she responds to the complaint to avoid the equivalent of a default discipline, then she must provide documents and argument despite having received a full presidential pardon,” the motion highlighted.
Conversely, if she refrains from responding, her silence would be interpreted as an admission of the allegations, potentially leading to severe disciplinary actions, including removal from her position.
Experts noted that the pardon granted by Trump likely spared Fiore from the obligation to repay the money she defrauded from donors, which totaled approximately $70,000.
Armeni stated, “Nobody ever complained, and nobody ever asked for their money back.”
This ongoing legal battle raises questions about jurisdiction and accountability within the Nevada judicial system as the commission prepares to defend its authority in this complex case.
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