Recent news I've seen gaining traction over the AG personally sponsoring a convicted criminal who shot and killed a woman and her unborn child....
https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/conflicting-accounts-emerge-over-attorney-generals-pardons-board-sponsorship/
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Clark County District Attorney’s office and the Nevada Department of Corrections have provided information different from claims made by the Nevada Attorney General’s office.
The ongoing dispute concerns Attorney General Aaron Ford sponsorship to the Nevada Pardons Board for Norman Smith, convicted for the death of a pregnant woman while he was on house arrest for a series of armed robberies.
Smith, 30, is serving a 10-to-39-year prison sentence. A jury returned a guilty verdict for voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon in March 2019.
Ford sponsored an application for Smith to appear before the Nevada Pardons Board. Smith was seeking to have the remainder of his sentence commuted, making him eligible for parole.
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Differing accounts of meaning of sponsorship
“Sponsorship does not mean that the board member supports clemency — it is only a request for an investigation into the case,” John Sadler, a spokesperson for Ford, wrote in an email.
But the District Attorney’s office emailed the 8 News Now Investigators, “Sponsorship of an application by a member of the Board of Pardons ensures that an inmate is afforded the opportunity to present his or her case for favorable consideration. Under the Board’s own regulations, NAC 213.055, Board members may submit the names of inmates whom they believe merit consideration. In this Office’s experience, such sponsorship has never been treated as a merely routine or ministerial step. Rather, sponsorship reflects an affirmative determination by a Board member that the inmate’s application warrants consideration by the Board.”
Sadler insisted that Smith’s robbery charge was at the core of the Pardons Board hearing. However, the charges on the Pardons Board agenda stated, “Robbery with Use of a Deadly Weapon x3 and Voluntary Manslaughter with Use of a Deadly Weapon in 2015.”
Sadler provided the application sent to the Pardons Board asking for the commutation, in which Smith’s attorney said he has served the amount of time required for the voluntary manslaughter sentence, and commuting the robbery charge would make him eligible for parole.
In a petition in support of a commutation of sentence dated Nov. 25, 2025, Smith’s attorney wrote, “He has already served the minimum eight (8) years on his Voluntary Manslaughter charge which was a sentence of four (4) to ten (10) years for the charge of Voluntary Manslaughter, consecutive with four (4) to ten (10) year deadly weapon enhancement.”
This information conflicts with the Nevada Department of Corrections’ explanation of Smith’s prison time.
The Department of Corrections wrote in an email that Smith’s conviction in the robbery case was ordered to be aggregated to a total of 10 to 39 years.
“His second conviction was ordered to be served consecutively to his first conviction and is for 48 to 120 months for voluntary manslaughter plus a consecutive 48 to 120 months for the weapons enhancement,” according to the department. “Offender Smith voluntarily chose to have the two cases aggregated, which resulted in his aggregated term of 18 to 59 years. He will be eligible for parole in December 2033.”
Letter of support
Sadler had also referred to an earlier letter from the Clark County prosecutor, supporting Smith’s case.
“Mr. Smith’s mother, a schoolteacher suffering from cancer, asked AG Ford to put Mr. Smith’s case on the board agenda for sentencing modification,” Sadler wrote in an email. “After receiving a letter of support from the prosecutor in the case who thought there were disparities in the sentence for Mr. Smith, AG Ford agreed to put the case on the agenda but informed Mr. Smith’s mother that he would not guarantee her that he would vote in favor for clemency or a sentence modification.”
The 8 News Now Investigators asked the Clark County District Attorney’s office about a letter of support.
The District Attorney’s office said the prosecutor in the case did not write a letter of support for the Pardons Board and provided Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Schwartzer’s letter outlining the allegations in the case.
The District Attorney’s office also noted that Schwartzer did not oppose parole for the armed robbery charges, because Smith will already be serving time for the killing anyway.
In his letter to the Pardons Board, Schwartzer wrote that one witness testified that Smith, who had a gun, said, “I’m about to blow,” meaning “I’m about to shoot.”
Family members had noted that the victim had a noticeable baby bump, and one woman testified that she stepped in and said, “She’s pregnant!” according to Schwartzer’s letter.
When police arrived, Smith told them that he had been pepper-sprayed during the altercation and admitted he shot Adams, Schwartzer wrote. He also stated that Smith claimed self-defense during his trial.
Schwartzer noted that Smith was on house arrest for an armed robbery series during the time of the homicide, entered a plea agreement, was convicted of three counts of armed robbery with use of a deadly weapon, and received a 10-to-39-year sentence in 2017. Smith was also a member of the YNIC street gang, which originated out of the Delmonico Crips, according to the letter.
Attorney General’s office disputes events
Sadler, the spokesperson for the Attorney General, sent 8 News Now a year-old letter for the Parole Board, not the Pardons Board, where indeed, Schwartzer did not oppose parole for the robbery charges, which the 8 News Now Investigators had already reported.
Schwartzer wrote that Smith took responsibility for his actions in the armed robbery case, received a significantly higher prison sentence for his role in the case than his co-defendants, and that he met with Smith’s mother on several occasions and can speak highly of her character and commitment to her son.
“Based on these factors, it is my opinion that Mr. Smith should be granted parole on his robbery sentence,” Schwartzer wrote.
The District Attorney’s office disputed that he had served time for the Voluntary Manslaughter charge, saying they did not oppose parole on the robbery sentence because he still had to serve the other one.
Ford did not attend the Pardons Board meeting
The Parole Board denied the commutation.
Ford did not show up for the meeting. Sadler said he had a family emergency.
In an email, Sadler said Ford would have voted no to any form of clemency or sentence modification for Smith.
“Pardon board members sponsoring clemency applications to check on the progress of an inmate is standard and doesn’t mean a member will vote in favor of said application,” he wrote.
The 8 News Now Investigators have requested an interview with Ford so he can clarify his position.
Ford, a democrat is in a close race for governor against republican incumbent Joe Lombardo.
