Dem AG Candidate Distances Herself From Party’s Gubernatorial Nominee Who Sponsored Clemency For Convicted Killer
A Democratic candidate running to be the next attorney general in Nevada opposed Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford's efforts to win clemency for a man convicted of murdering a pregnant woman, she told the Daily Caller News Foundation Tuesday.
Nicole Silverio · Sep 30, 2026 · 2 min read
Ford did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment on why he sponsored Smith’s commutation.
Cannizzaro served eleven years as a prosecutor in the Clark County District Attorney’s office, including as a chief deputy in the office’s gang unit. Major law enforcement organizations in Nevada, including the Las Vegas Police Protective Association and the Nevada Law Enforcement Coalition, endorsed Cannizzaro.
The Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners denied the clemency bid, and Ford skipped the commutation hearing he planned to attend. When confronted about the sponsorship, Ford refused to tell Fox News why he would support the convicted killer’s commutation.
“Uhh, don’t know which one you’re talking about, but anyway—good to see you,” Ford said.
“Is there a reason why you’re pardoning him?” a reporter asked.
“Good to see you, take care,” Ford replied.
Under Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners rules, an inmate’s clemency application sits in a queue until one of the board’s nine members, which includes the attorney general, officially sponsors it. Ford’s sponsorship allowed Smith’s application to reach a full hearing and vote.
Smith’s application was the only commutation request Ford sponsored in 2026, according to Fox News.
Smith was free on bail in 2015 and faced 14 charges in connection with armed robbery attacks on Vegas Strip tourists, according to Fox News. He fatally shot Tineshea Adams, who was pregnant at the time, claiming self-defense. Court documents found that Smith was initially charged with murder, but was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter and three counts of armed robbery.