LAS VEGAS — A former Nye County prosecutor defended Michele Fiore’s work on the bench, describing the suspended Pahrump justice of the peace as “outstanding” during a hearing before a judicial review panel Wednesday.

Jason Gunnell was the final witness in Fiore’s three-day hearing before the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline. Gunnell said that when he took the job in Pahrump, he had heard that the justice court was a kangaroo court.

“I was initially hesitant when I heard that Judge Fiore was going to be the judge because you hear a lot of stuff about her in the news,” Gunnell said. “But I was pleasantly surprised. Judge Fiore was fair. She was outstanding as a justice of the peace.”

Gunnell said Fiore always showed humility when she encountered unfamiliar legal issues. She also handed out toys to parents who brought their kids to court, he said.

Fiore appeared to wipe away tears as he spoke.

The commission later adjourned to deliberate on whether she violated the state’s code of judicial conduct. It could be months before the commission returns with a decision on whether Fiore could return to the bench, according to her attorney, Paola Armeni.

The commission began investigating Fiore, who was appointed in 2022 and elected to a two-year term in 2024, after she was found guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud. President Donald Trump pardoned Fiore in April 2025, but the pardon did not resolve the separate disciplinary proceedings. Fiore lost her reelection bid after finishing third in the 2026 primary election.

As a Las Vegas councilwoman, Fiore had raised tens of thousands of dollars for a park and a statue honoring fallen police officer Alyn Beck. Federal prosecutors alleged she used the money for personal expenses, including rent, plastic surgery and her daughter’s wedding.

The statue was built, but according to testimony at her trial, the developer Olympia Companies paid for it.

During closing arguments Wednesday, Thomas Donaldson, the commission’s special counsel, said that Fiore had tried to financially benefit from Beck’s slaying, calling the acts reprehensible. He said that the code of judicial conduct requires that judges always avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.

Armeni argued that Fiore’s actions predated her time on the bench and did not constitute judicial misconduct.

“She wasn’t a judge and she wasn’t subject to the judicial canons,” Armeni said. “The commission can’t convert a completed pre-bench act into a violation by relabeling it ongoing failure.”

Armeni said Fiore did not intend to defraud anyone but recognized in hindsight that her accounting practices were poor. She pointed to Gunnell’s testimony and urged commissioners to focus on Fiore’s professionalism as a judge.

“I ask you to see beyond the media, the hoopla, the stereotypes,” Armeni said. “Because that’s really not who she is.”

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