Michele Fiore appeals suspension without pay from judicial bench
Michele Fiore is appealing her suspension without pay from her position as a judge, caused by a jury's guilty verdict in her felony wire fraud case that Fiore called a "weaponized, political trial."
Last month, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline voted unanimously to continue Fiore's suspension from the bench in Pahrump Justice Court and also remove her salary.
The move came after a jury found Fiore guilty in a federal wire fraud case, in which prosecutors said she used donations meant for a fallen officer's memorial on personal expenses.
'This is not over'
Fiore told the Review-Journal on Tuesday that she believes she should still be receiving a salary while her attorney prepares to appeal the criminal case.
"I think I should still be receiving a salary because, again, I plead not guilty," Fiore said. "This is not over. We are appealing this whole thing. It was a true weaponized, political trial."
Fiore claimed there were discrepancies in what prosecutors said to the jury, and that witnesses lied on the stand. She said she did not want to speak about the specifics of the trial before appeals are filed.
After initially speaking with the Review-Journal, Fiore called a reporter back and said this should include that "prosecutors lied to the jury and witnesses lied on the stand and should be impeached," otherwise Fiore said she would not speak with the reporter for future s.
The Review-Journal previously reported that Fiore has accused witnesses of misleading testimony during the trial.
Fiore's attorney, Paola Armeni, filed a notice of appeal on Nov. 4, challenging the discipline commission's suspension of Fiore without pay, court records show.
The commission suspended Fiore with pay in July, and she was paid more than $20,900 after her indictment, a Nye County spokesman has said. The commission revoked her pay following a brief hearing last month.
According to Nevada law governing the commission, a judge can be suspended without pay if the judge is found guilty of a felony. The commission also has the power to remove a judge from the bench if it determines the judge committed "willful misconduct," which includes being convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, according to Nevada law.
A federal jury found Fiore guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for defrauding donors who thought they were contributing to a statue of fallen Metropolitan Police Department officer Alyn Beck, who was killed alongside his partner in 2014.
Prosecutors accused Fiore of using her charity and political action committee to raise money that she then spent on personal expenses such as rent, plastic surgery and payments toward her daughter's wedding.
Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman, was appointed to the bench in Pahrump Justice Court by the Nye County Commission in December 2022. She then won a primary election to retain her position in June, shortly before she was indicted in the wire fraud case.
Sentencing set for March 10
Armeni said during a commission meeting last month that she expects to file post-trial motions and an appeal in the criminal case. She said she expects to file a motion for a new trial and a motion for an acquittal, which she said could invalidate the jury's verdict if the judge rules in Fiore's favor.
Fiore's sentencing hearing on the federal wire fraud charges was initially set for early January, but has since been rescheduled for March 10. Attorneys have said they expect Fiore will face some prison time, but that her sentence will be at the discretion of U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey.
