Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford Faces Questions on Clemency Bid for Convicted Killer

<p>Nevada's Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford has not provided an explanation for his support of a clemency bid for Norman Smith, a convicted killer who fatally shot a pregnant woman while out on bail for multiple armed robbery charges. This occurred as Ford campaigns for the position of governor of Nevada.</p><p>Records from the Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners indicate that Ford was the sole sponsor of Smith’s commutation application during a meeting on September 16. Smith had been serving time for the murder of Tineshea Adams in a convenience store parking lot, a crime committed while he was out on bail for a series of armed robberies targeting tourists on the Las Vegas Strip, according to court documents.</p><p>Although Ford supported the clemency bid, the board ultimately denied the request. Ford did not attend the hearing and later avoided questions about his sponsorship of Smith's application at a Las Vegas airport.</p><p>Ford's sponsorship of Smith's clemency request has drawn criticism as he runs against Republican Governor Joe Lombardo, who has challenged Ford's record on public safety and criminal justice reform.</p><p>Ford's campaign stated that he missed the hearing due to a family medical emergency and characterized his sponsorship as a routine procedural action that allows the Board of Pardons to consider a clemency request. However, the campaign did not clarify why Ford chose to support Smith's specific case.</p><p>During an encounter at the airport, a tracker asked Ford about his sponsorship of Smith's clemency bid. Ford responded that he was unaware of the specific case and then walked away from the questioner.</p><p>According to the rules of the Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners, a clemency application remains in a queue until one of the board's members, which includes the governor, attorney general, and state Supreme Court justices, sponsors it for a hearing. By sponsoring Smith’s application, Ford moved the case from the administrative queue to the official agenda for a hearing and vote.</p><p>A review of official meeting agendas from 2026 shows that Smith’s application was the only commutation request sponsored by Ford that year. In 2015, Smith was free on bail facing 14 charges related to armed robberies when he shot and killed Adams. Initially charged with murder, Smith was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter and armed robbery and is currently serving a 10-to-39-year prison sentence.</p><p>Political strategist Matt Gorman criticized Ford's avoidance of questions, stating that it reflects poorly on his candidacy for governor.</p>