“The administration of the DA’s Office was made aware of Aziz Merchant’s social media posts on November 10th. He was terminated at that time. Mr. Merchant’s personal posts do not reflect the values or standards of the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office. They are abhorrent, disturbing, and wholly inconsistent with the principles we uphold,” the PIO for the DA’s office Kendall Holcomb wrote to us today when we asked for confirmation of the prosecutor’s reported dismissal.
A local who wished to remain anonymous had previously written to us reporting the firing indicating: “I think it’s important for the community to see that this kind of behavior is not tolerated. As a prosecutor, Mr. Merchant was responsible for handling domestic violence cases and other cases involving female victims. How are women supposed to feel confident and have trust in the criminal justice system if this is who is tasked with advocating for them?”
Videos still available online in which he appears include a YouTube channel called “The Funny Man and the Fat Man.” The latest from two days ago has just 141 views (including ours) which has him answering legal questions while driving.
One from ten days ago in a similar setup while driving and answering his passenger's questions has him starting with “like she looked good when she was younger but she looks kind of busted now …” before saying “it’s like guys, they age like fine wine, women age like milk …”.
Another County Deputy District Attorney Kenneth Ching was arrested on August 30th and then fired following alleged public lewdness at the Peppermill.