Judge in role switch at trial

As a judge, Michelle Leavitt is accustomed to hearing testimony from witnesses.

But the tables were turned Wednesday when Leavitt took the witness stand and testified against the man accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her, a county prosecutor and a detective.

On trial is 42-year-old Daimon "Dinky" Monroe, whom authorities accuse of trying to set up the plot while imprisoned in the county jail. He is facing three counts of solicitation to commit murder.

Authorities said Monroe wanted to kill county prosecutor Sandra DiGiacomo and Las Vegas police detective Bradley Nickell because he blamed them for his arrest in a theft case.

Leavitt was presiding over his case, and he feared she would sentence him to life in prison, according to a Las Vegas police report.

Leavitt, who learned of the plot in September 2007, took the stand on the opening day of Monroe's trial in District Court.

She told the jury that Monroe didn't stand out in any way when his case before her.

"He gave me no concern whatsoever," she said.

But after learning about the alleged contract on her life, Leavitt, a mother of three, went out and bought a handgun "to protect my family," she said.

Las Vegas police conducted surveillance on her home after the threats were made to ensure her safety, she said.

Monroe sat at the defense table and occasionally glanced back and winked at audience members in the courtroom. He flashed a handwritten sign that stated "stop the corruption." Monroe is also known as Daimon Hoyt.

Monroe's case started in 2006 when he was arrested in connection with a theft ring. Authorities said he and several others had stolen at least $2 million worth of electronics, paintings, and musical instruments.

Deputy District Attorney Noreen Nyikos told the jury that after police arrested Monroe, he plotted in the county jail to kill DiGiacomo, Nickell and Leavitt. He wanted to pay a hit man $30,000 and then another $500,000 after the job was finished, she said.

"He's angry and wants them dead," she said.

Authorities learned about the plot after another inmate, Edward Gutierrez, told a federal agent about it. Gutierrez wore a hidden recording device during a meeting with Monroe and recorded him confirming that he wanted the assassination plan to go forward, authorities said,

The FBI was initially involved because it thought the target was federal magistrate Lawrence Leavitt.

During the investigation, authorities intercepted letters in Monroe's handwriting with statements such as "Set it up with the hit" or "Go with killing Leavitt, Nickell," Nyikos said.

But Monroe's court-appointed attorney, Christina DiEdoardo, told the jury that the defendant did not have the motive, money or connections to pull off the plot.

DiEdoardo said Gutierrez wanted to help authorities so he could get a better deal on his pending criminal case. He was jailed on multiple charges including kidnapping, coercion, sexual assault, burglary, and stalking.

Although prosecutors said Gutierrez did not ask for anything in return for his help, DiEdoardo said he pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

DiEdoardo also said Monroe did not have enough money at the time to make bail on his theft case, and no one would post it for him. He also could not pay for a private attorney to represent him.

"The proof is in the pudding," DiEdoardo said. "No one bailed him out of jail."

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.