A local judge in hot water facing serious charges after being accused of getting improperly involved in a double homicide investigation among other allegations.
Judge Melanie Tobiasson is facing eight charges leveled by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline.
Jeremy Chen reports.
IN A DOUBLE HOMICIDEINVESTIGATION.JUDGE...MELANIE TOBIASSON....IS FACING -8- CHARGES.....FROM THE NEVADA COMMISSION.....ON JUDICIAL DISCLIPLINE.13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER JEREMYCHEN IS LIVE..EXPLAINING WHY THE JUDGE'SATTORNEY BELIEVES THE CHARGESARE BASELESS.ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO THERE WASA DOUBLE HOMICIDE THAT HAPPENEDAT THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX NEARHUALAPAI AND PEACE WAY-AND IT'STHE JUDGE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THISCASE THAT HAS HER FACING ETHICSCHARGES."FAILING TO UPHOLD AND APPLYTHE LAW "AND "PERMITTINGFAMILY INTERESTS AND RELATIONSTO INFLUENCE CONDUCT ANDJUDGMENT." THESE ARE SOME OFTHE SERIOUS CHARGES LEVELED ATLAS VEGAS JUDGE MELANIETOBIASSON.IN A COMPLAINT FILED MONDAY BYTHE NEVADA COMMISSION ONJUDICIAL DISCLIPLINE-IT SAYSJUDGE TOBIASSON ASKED METROPOLICE-TO INVESTIGATE ACLOTHING STORE WHERE HERDAUGHTER WORKEDBELIVING IT WAS A FRONT FORTEEN DRUG USE AND PROSTITUTION.THE COMPLAINT SAYS THE DAUGHTERTOLD JUDGE TOBIASSON A MANNAMED SHANE VALENTINE ALLEGEDLYTRIED LURING HER INTOPROSTITUTION-WHICH PROMPTED THEJUDGE TO CONTACT POLICE.METRO POLICE SAY VALENTINE ISNO LONGER A PERSON OF INTERESTIN A DOUBLE HOMICIDE THATOCCURRED IN OCTOBER OF 2016WHEN 21-YEAR-OLD SYDNEY LANDAND 20-YEAR-OLD NEO KAUFFMANWERE KILLED.THE COMPLAINT SAYS JUDGETOBIASSON PERSONALLYINVESTIGATED THE CASE WITH THECOMPLAINT ALSO SAYING THE JUDGEBELIEVED VALENTINE HADCOMMITTED THE MURDERS.THE COMMISSION FURTHER ALLEGESSHE REACHED OUT TO LAND'SMOTHER- AND BEGAN PERSONALLYINVESTIGATING THE CASEBELIEVING VALENTINE COMMITTEDTHE MURDERS.IT ACCUSES JUDGE TOBIASSON OFUSING A "BURNER" CELLPHONE TOSPEAK WITH LAND'S MOTHER ASWELL AS SENDING INAPPROPRIATETEXT MESSAGES TO A WOMAN SHETHOUGHT WAS INVOLVED IN THEHOMICIDE.THE COMMISSION ALSO SAYS THEJUDGE REACHED OUT TOVALENTINE'S ATTORNEY SAYING IFVALENTINE CONTACTED HERDAUGHTER AGAIN-SHE WOULD QUOTE"TAKE CARE OF IT HERSELF"-ANDAT ONE POINT WENT TOINVESTIGATORS TO TRY AND GETJUDGE'S ACTIVITIES AND TRACKHER PHONE RECORDS."MUCH OF THE INFORMATION IS NOTONLY FALSE, BUT THEIR OWNCOMMISSION IS TARNISHING THEREPUTATION OF HIS CLIENT.HE WOULDN'T GO INTO SPECIFICSABOUT THE CHARGES- BUT SAYSTHE JUDGE WAS ACTING AS AMOTHER TRYING TO PROTECT HERDAUGHTER- AND GET POLICE TOD SOMEONE ACCOUNTABLE."WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITHFAMILY AND THE POLICE AREN'TRESPONDING, YOU WANT TODECLINED TO COMMENT AS SHE ISCONSIDERED A WITNESS IN THISETHICS INVESTIGATION.THE ATTORNEY SAYS HE HAS 20DAYS TO RESPOND TO THECOMMISSION'S COMPLAINT-ANDPLANS TO EVENTUALLY ADDRESS ALLOF IT'S CHARGES.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWS.'ZERO FATALITIES' IS TEAMING UPWITH LYFT..