Coroner: Henderson judge died of severe infection in arm

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Published Monday, April 25, 2016 | 9:32 a.m.

Updated Monday, April 25, 2016 | 1:10 p.m.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office has determined the death of Henderson Municipal Court Judge Diana Hampton was the result of a severe infection in her lower right arm. The cause of the infection was not determined, officials said.

Other significant conditions that led to her death included a lung disease and fentanyl intoxication, officials said. Fentanyl is a pain reliever that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said the amount of fentanyl in Hampton's system wasn't public record. He didn't call it an overdose.

The coroner ruled the death accidental.

Hampton, 50, was found dead in her home in Henderson on March 13.

Police responded at 12:25 p.m. to conduct a welfare check in the 3100 block of Palazzo Reale Ave., Henderson Police spokeswoman Michelle French said. Officers entered Hampton’s home and found her body inside, she said.

Hampton showed no sign that she was ailing three days before her death, said Ozzie Fumo, a veteran Las Vegas-area defense attorney who is running for the state Assembly. Hampton worked as an intern in Fumo's office before she became a lawyer.

"I spoke with her at the bench in court," Fumo said, noting that the two made plans to have lunch the following week. "There was no indication she was intoxicated or in pain. She was spot-on; focused and happy."

Hampton served as a Municipal Court judge for 11 years. Before that, she was a deputy city attorney in Henderson, prosecuting drunken driving and domestic battery cases.

Hampton also once had a private practice, focusing on family and criminal law, according to her online biography.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.