Laurel Smith
for Clark County Prosecutor

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“I will always fight for victims and to keep our community safe. I am a committed advocate, a diligent public servant, and a dedicated member of our community. I ask for your vote to serve Clark County as your Prosecutor.“

About Laurel

I’ve served as a prosecutor in Clark County since 2012, handling our community’s most serious and complex cases—including murder, sexual assault, and child abuse. I currently lead one of the most challenging units in the office, where I supervise attorneys and staff with a focus on justice, professionalism, and compassion for victims.

Over the years, I’ve built strong relationships with law enforcement, the courts, and community partners, and I’ve worked hard to earn their trust. I’ve also been deeply involved in education and outreach, from training new prosecutors to advocating for legislation that protects victims and holds offenders accountable.

This work is more than a job to me—Clark County is my home. My husband and I are raising our two young children here, and I’m committed to making sure this is a place where families feel safe, where justice is delivered fairly, and where the legal system works for everyone.

As your next Prosecutor, I will continue to prioritize public safety, support victims, and ensure accountability in our justice system. I believe we can be both tough and fair—and I’m ready to lead with the experience, integrity, and commitment this job demands.

Read Laurel’s Full Bio

My Priorities

This is where I’m putting my time and energy — the issues I believe will make the biggest difference for our community.

Crime has no place in our community. Sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse target our most vulnerable. These crimes should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Victims deserve to be heard, and prosecutors must do everything they can to empower victims with the ability to make choices along the way.


I believe that every person has a fundamental right to be safe in their home and safe in their community. When someone commits a crime that threatens this safety, that person must be held accountable. I am not afraid of taking high-stakes cases to trial and I have secured life-long sentences when they are deserved. As Prosecutor, I will continue working for justice by:

  • Ensuring that prosecutorial decisions are rooted in fairness, facts, and a commitment to justice—not politics or bias.
  • Prioritizing the prosecution of crimes that endanger the community and target the vulnerable, particularly child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
  • Supporting trauma-informed approaches that treat victims and their families with dignity and respect while pursuing justice.
  • Prioritizing direct communication with victims to ensure they are informed and given the opportunity to express what they find important.
  • Recognizing that treatment opportunities for non-violent, low-level offenses – when befitting and supported by those directly impacted by the crime – may be appropriate and reduce a chance of reoffending in the future.
  • Appreciating the impact that car thefts, burglaries, and property crimes have on victims and our community, and seeking outcomes – whether treatment or prison – that balance the responsible use of prosecution resources, are most likely to protect the community and reduce recidivism, and hold offenders accountable.

I understand the importance of being fiscally responsible when it comes to your tax dollars. Public resources must be used efficiently, and as Prosecutor I will work hard to prioritize justice and public safety while staying within the County’s budgetary limits. To this end, I will:

  • Convene a budget team to regularly review our prosecutorial practices and our expenditures and make policy decisions that make the most efficient and effective use of our dollars while still ensuring justice and community safety.
  • Work to take cases to trial as quickly as possible by evaluating practices aimed to shorten the timelines before trial.
  • Survey our current treatment court options to determine whether they are being utilized as well as they could be, as treatment options are typically less expensive than incarceration and can reduce recidivism.
  • Seek opportunities for cost-sharing with community partners, law enforcement, and the Office of Public Defense when we have shared goals and practices.

The Prosecutor’s Office should have open and robust communications with police agencies. Police are the first line of defense for community safety, and effective prosecution starts with solid relationships between prosecutors and police. As your Prosecutor, I will foster this relationship by:

  • Creating deputy prosecutor liaisons for all of the detective units in each of our partner agencies and making deputy prosecutors available for face-to-face time with patrol units.
  • Opening up lines of communication about resolutions of cases, especially cases involving assaults on police officers.
  • Conducting joint trainings with both law enforcement and deputy prosecutors on courtroom procedures, updates to the law, and topics relevant to frontline policing to ensure a unified and informed approach to justice.

I believe that a successful Prosecutor understands the issues, wants, and needs of their community. I believe in open, ethical communication and accountability to our voters and taxpayers. I will:

  • Utilize social media and public forums to keep the community informed.
  • Share updates about policy, outreach, and the work of the Prosecutor’s Office to build a stronger connection with the public.
  • Create an open line of communication for concerns and questions from the community.
  • Build prevention and outreach programs for the public to learn what is going on with different types of crime in Clark County, to include child abuse, car thefts, elder abuse, and domestic violence.
  • Seek out partnerships with community organizations that serve our most vulnerable populations to create more direct opportunities for community engagement.

Working in Clark County every day, I see how State laws impact our local community. It is important to me that the legislators in Olympia understand how criminal laws play out in real cases, know what we need, and listen to our concerns. I have made it a point to advocate for legislation that protects victims and promotes fairness in the criminal justice system, and I will continue working to improve our laws once elected. As Prosecutor I will:

  • Create a team tasked with staying on top of proposed bills, testifying in support of/against bills, and building relationships with legislators.
  • Communicate with legislators to raise awareness about the challenges and issues facing Clark County residents regarding crime and public safety.
  • Continue lobbying for changes to the law to protect children from criminally negligent caregivers and sexual predators, and to allow longer time to prosecute after victims of child abuse come forward.

In the News

Laurel Smith wins 108-year sentence in infant rape, exploitation case.

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Clark Co. prosecutors secure conviction in triple murder case.

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Smith obtains convictions in starvation death of 15-year-old boy.

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