Media Confirm Ford Backed Clemency for 30 Murderers, Sponsored Case for Politically Connected Mother
The Nevada Board of Pardons consists of the governor, the attorney general, and the justices of the Nevada Supreme Court. The Board votes to commute sentences, remit fines, and grant pardons for state-level convictions.
The Board has become a central issue in the 2026 Nevada governor’s race, with ads telling of Democrat Attorney General Aaron Ford votes in favor of clemency for convicted murderers. The Nevada Independent recently reviewed Ford’s voting record and confirmed that Ford voted in favor of releasing 30 individuals convicted of murder over his eight years in office.
In one high-profile case, Ford sponsored the application of Norman Smith, who shot and killed a pregnant woman while out on bail for armed robberies of Strip tourists. Smith’s mother, Treena Smith, a member of the Clark County Black Caucus, which supported Ford’s political campaign, requested that he place the case on the agenda. Ford missed the meeting and did not vote; the board denied the request.
Ford also supported a commutation for Tony Ray Amati, described by prosecutors as a “thrill killer” who was once on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list after a series of Las Vegas shootings. He also backed parole eligibility for Bobby Thomas, convicted of stabbing a 17-year-old to death, calling the decision a “no-brainer,” and for others, including a man who kidnapped and executed a teenager in the desert.
In each of these murder cases, Governor Joe Lombardo voted against the leniency that Ford supported.
The race to replace Ford as attorney general is between Republican Adriana Guzman Fralick or Democrat Nicole Cannizzaro, who will take over his vote on the Board of Pardons.
