A recent opinion column in the Las Vegas Review-Journal criticizes Attorney General Aaron Ford, the Democratic candidate for governor, over his sponsorship of a clemency bid for Norman Smith. In 2015, Smith shot and killed Tinesha Antovia Adams, who was visibly pregnant, outside a North Las Vegas Applebee's restaurant. At the time, Smith was out on $160,000 bail facing charges including attempted murder, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon related to Strip robberies. As a member of the Board of Pardons, Ford sponsored Smith's commutation request, though the board did not grant it and Ford did not attend the meeting. His campaign later stated that sponsoring the bid did not mean he supported the commutation.
Gov. Joe Lombardo has highlighted the case in a campaign advertisement featuring Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, a Democrat, who says, "Ford cares more about criminals than victims." The column also targets Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, for her role in passing Assembly Bill 236 during the 2019 legislative session. The law, supported by the Democratic trifecta in Carson City, aimed to reduce the prison population by lowering penalties, including raising the felony theft threshold to $1,200.
The column argues the legislation has led to increased retail theft, evidenced by more products being locked behind cases in stores. It notes Cannizzaro, who held a leadership position in 2019, voted for the bill but is not highlighting that record in her current campaign. The piece concludes by endorsing Republican candidate Adriana Guzmán Fralick for attorney general, stating voters should choose someone who will "lock up criminals and not deodorant."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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