He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Xavier University in Ohio in 1970.

Nugent was in private practice in Cuyahoga County, Ohio from 1974 to 1985.

President Bill Clinton nominated Nugent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on April 27, 1995, to the seat vacated by Thomas Demetrios Lambros.

Confirmed by the Senate on June 30, 1995, he received commission the same day.

[2] In 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit removed Nugent from a First Amendment lawsuit because he was "hostile and biased" toward the physician plaintiffs who successfully challenged a state restriction on campaign contributions.