Yeah, Nevada Judge Michele Fiore Is Controversial, but at Least She's Not Absolutely Spineless

On Thursday, MSNBC ran an opinion piece titled, Nevada’s newest judge doesn’t respect the law. Or perhaps know it. The article goes over almost every scandal that can be dug up against Nye County’s newest Justice of the Peace, Michele Fiore, who has served as Las Vegas City Councilwoman, in the legislature, as well as an RNC Committeewoman.

While aiming to sully her name, they somehow forgot a few key ‘Michele moments’ like when she posed for a photo that appeared to be lace women’s undergarments on her face. An “N69 mask,” folks. Yeah, people either love her or loathe her. Take your pick.

I don’t always take a photo w a mask on but when I do, it’s my #N69Mask❤️ Thanks for lovely messages on my N69Mask-it does come w protection (filter) we removed it for photo to show detail-Lots of comments on N69Mask as panties-To those: Don’t get your panties in such a wad. 💋 pic.twitter.com/KMHVMWlKvQ

— Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore (@VoteFiore) July 10, 2020

I’m not here to claim Fiore isn’t controversial. She has been controversial. The author, Jessica Levinson, made the shock and awe case against Fiore except none of her claims are new information in Nevada, and they come a week late, after a unanimous approval process, anyway.

Fiore is somewhere between “Back the Blue” and “Come back with a warrant.” While I cannot predict her behavior on the bench, I can say I want judges with such an ideology. Someone who is pro-law enforcement yet doesn’t agree with federal agents showing up to cull your cattle. Someone willing to balance rights with the police powers of the state.

I could name worse judges on the bench right now, like the anti-law enforcement judge I previously wrote about in Clark County.

Let me know if Levinson penned an opinion piece about this actual prejudicial conduct that happened in a hearing, or just hit pieces on to-be judges who haven’t spoken a word on the bench,theorizing that they are horrible.

You can like Fiore or not. Neither opinion is surprising. Some people are in the middle. Here’s the thing, though: I don’t care. Almost nothing could interest me less than even a local’s opinion of Michele Fiore, except maybe asking random people what they think about Donald Trump, who endorsed her. Whatever hyperbolic, impassioned, fire and brimstone response comes next… I just do not find it interesting.

Fiore might as well be the central figure of all local Republican politics. You could draw up a map of every faction and inter-party spat using their relation to Fiore. The “Republicans for Democrats” faction of um, turn-coats, that opposed multiple statewide GOP candidates in the general election would be on that chart. Those people were censured for doing the exact opposite of what Republican Party members are obligated to do, to support Republican candidates.

So, if there are legitimate claims against Fiore, it’s lost in translation to Republicans because the people making them went out of their way to support Democrats. The fact that Levinson, a professor in Los Angeles, also has an unfavorable opinion doesn’t even rank in rural Nye County, and if it does those are points in favor of Fiore.

Folks can clutch their pearls, but Michele just pairs hers with some face-lace to display opposition to executive edicts. Most officials were “scared” to oppose any of the pandemic policies because they made an early national example out of Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who wanted private businesses in the city to control their business decisions. The Washington Post called it a “public skewering” of Mayor Goodman. She saw what happened to Goodman, whom Fiore worked with on City Council, and didn’t “get in line” for fear of similar social reprimand.

Fiore is controversial, but at least she’s not absolutely spineless. I can predict a lot of scrutiny of her… Do you call that “news”?