Court: Too late for DA to reinstate charges in Heidi Fleiss marijuana case

By Cy Ryan

Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 | 12:26 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Heidi Lynn Fleiss, the former so-called Hollywood madam, has beaten allegations that she grew hundreds of marijuana plants at her home.

The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday issued an order saying the Nye County District Attorney’s Office failed to timely file documents in its appeal to reinstate charges against Fleiss.

Fleiss owns a home on a 10-acre site in Pahrump. The ruling by the Supreme Court upholds the decision by District Court Judge Kimberly Wanker, who ruled sheriff’s deputies failed to get a search warrant before entering Fleiss’ property, where they found more than 300 marijuana plants at the rear of the property and in another building.

Wanker also ruled there was no evidence to show Fleiss was selling or dispensing the marijuana, as charged by the District Attorney’s Office.

The deputies did not find any evidence of packaging, scales, money or paraphernalia used for smoking marijuana, such as pipes, bongs, water pipes or hookahs, according to the District Court, which dismissed charges against Fleiss.

Wanker said the District Attorney’s Office failed to charge Fleiss with illegally growing marijuana on her property.

Deputy Sheriff Adam Tippetts in August 2013 went to the Fleiss home to serve a warrant on another person, according to court documents. He knocked on the front door, which was open, but no one answered. He then went around to the back of the house, where he found the marijuana plants, court documents said.

Wanker said deputies should have obtained a search warrant. She also noted that deputies never saw anyone come to the property to buy or obtain marijuana.

Wanker suppressed the seizure of the marijuana evidence.

The state Supreme Court said it gave the District Attorney’s Office time to file documents on its appeal, but it failed to meet the deadline.