Melanie Andress-Tobiasson
 Melanie Andress-Tobiasson  (judge) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 June 1967 |
| Died | 20 January 2022 (Age 54) Las Vegas |
Cause of death | "Suicide" |
| Alma mater | Southern Methodist University, Pepperdine Law School |
| Interests | • Las Vegas • Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department |
Las Vegas judge who is said to have committed suicide amidst an ethics probe after she started investigating underage prostitution ring | |
Melanie Andress-Tobiasson was a judge in Las Vegas who is said to have committed suicide amidst an ethics probe,[1][2][3] after she started to investigate and personally intervene with a clothing store which she believed was a front for underage prostitution.
Contents
Education
Andress-Tobiasson was educated from Southern Methodist University and Pepperdine Law School.
Career
Her first job as a lawyer was as a deputy prosecutor for the Clark County District Attorney. She retired for a while to be home with her babies. In 2000 she began working part time as a judge pro tempore, balancing work and family. She was appointed as a Las Vegas Justice Of The Peace in 2009. Subsequently she was re-elected and sat in that position until she resigned in 2021.[4]
Underage prostitution case
Andress-Tobiasson started to investigate a clothing store which she believed was a front for a club doing underage prostitution when her daughter started to work there.[5]
Andress-Tobiasson claimed that store owner Shane Valentine and pimps were "targeting daughters of judges and law enforcement" into prostitution. The judge turned to the FBI with her information, but this led to her breaching judicial rules after repeating her claims.[1]
The ethics commission alleged that Andress-Tobiasson had reached out to Valentine's lawyer at the time and said she would "take care of it herself" if he had approached her daughter again. She also was alleged to have visited Valentine's house and "kicked in the door".[1]
The ethics complaint alleged that Andress-Tobiasson presided in cases involving people connected to her investigation.[6] Andress-Tobiasson reached out to a relative of a couple that were killed because she believed Valentine to be responsible. Although police did not officially link Valentine to the murder of Sydney Land, 21, and Nehemiah Kauffman, 20, until later, the complaint accused her of trying to "personally investigate".
Andress-Tobiasson was due to go to trial over her conduct but all charges were dropped if she resigned from her position, which she agreed to.[1]
In a media interview, Andress-Tobiasson said vice detectives were protecting pimps in exchange for bribes and sex with prostitutes, and that she was threatened with criminal charges to prevent her from exposing police corruption[7]
Andress-Tobiasson and organized crime
The ethics probe alleged that she had links to a man called "Anthony Danna" who was a "known and documented organized crime figure." Andress-Tobiasson lived with her husband, Todd, in a $2 million mansion with a pool at the time of her death.[8]
References
- ↑ a b c d https://archive.is/EVQAr
- ↑ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11661117/Las-Vegas-judge-53-commits-suicide-year-forced-resign-avoid-ethics-probe.html
- ↑ https://obituaries.reviewjournal.com/obituary/anne-tobiasson-melanie-1087061051
- ↑ https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/melanie-andress-tobiasson-11118319
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211219222743/https://www.8newsnow.com/news/i-team-local-judge-reveals-troubles-with-vice-cops/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220925104606/https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge-is-accused-of-abusing-her-power-to-investigate-hip-hop-clothing-store-and-double-murder
- ↑ https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/did-las-vegas-judge-melanie-andress-tobiasson-lie-to-the-judicial-commission-about-baltimore-post-examiner-interview/2019/12/19 archived
- ↑ https://nypost.com/2023/01/21/las-vegas-judge-dies-by-suicide-after-ethics-probe-resignation/
