UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Las Vegas Judge Who Resigned Amid Ethics Investigation Dies by Suicide

A two-year probe determined she used her post to order a police investigation into her daughter’s place of work.

A former Las Vegas judge who left her post over a looming ethics trial died by suicide on Friday, KLAS reported. The twice-elected justice of the peace Melanie Andress-Tobiasson, 55, resigned from her role as a local judge in 2021 after a two-year probe accused her of using her post to order police investigations into her daughter’s job at a clothing store after she came to believe it was a front for sex trafficking. Police officers raised their concerns in a memo to the local sheriff, prompting an investigation into whether Tobiasson allowed her family to influence her decisions as a judge. An ethics trial was set for 2021 but was canceled with Andress-Tobiasson stepped down.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can also text or dial 988.