LAS VEGAS (CN) — The case against Robert Telles, the former Clark County public administrator charged with the murder of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, may go to trial at last in August — despite ongoing sifting through digital evidence on German's electronic devices.
Clark County District Judge Michelle Leavitt said Tuesday she is willing to hear from both sides and their needs, but felt a trial date should be set after numerous delays in the case.
“I'd like to set a trial date if we can. And then I'm assuming both sides at least want a trial date ending that we're working towards,” she said.
Telles' attorney Robert Draskovich said his client also wants to see a trial date set sooner than later.
“He's concerned that at this pace in which this matter's moving along, it could be months if not years before we're done with review. He wants to proceed to trial,” said Draskovich.
Telles is accused of fatally stabbing German in September 2022, motivated, according to prosecutors, by German’s investigative reporting on Telles' tenure as an elected official. This reporting included allegations of misconduct and a toxic workplace environment.
The case took a significant turn when Telles' trial was delayed this month after prosecutors sought access to German’s personal devices, which have become a focal point of legal contention following German's death.
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in October that the state's shield law, designed to protect journalists from being compelled to disclose their sources, extends to German's devices posthumously. This ruling came after the Review-Journal's legal efforts to prevent the search of German’s devices.
Currently, Review-Journal employees are reviewing German's devices to filter out privileged information. However, the newspaper's attorney Joel Tasca said he was uncertain the review would be complete in time to make the new trial date.indicated the uncertainty of completing this review by the new trial date. The Review Journal and state of Nevada are figuring out who will pay for the extra manpower and services and what started with a six-person investigative crew looking at the information has now risen to nearly 20, Tasca said.
“The first thing we need to be able to proceed to search the other five devices. The phone is done. We'll move on to their devices, but we are waiting for Mr. Telles' side to sign the revised protocol that we circulated,” Tasca said.
Judge Leavitt agreed to facilitate that revised protocol process on Tuesday.
Despite previously insisting on proceeding with the trial as scheduled, Telles had softened his stance and no longer opposed the delay. That shift came after new information was provided about a bribery investigation by Las Vegas Metro Police involving Telles that predates German’s murder, with police investigating a potential house-flipping scheme by Telles for personal gain.
But in court on Tuesday, the defense again asked for the trial to proceed.
Telles, who has pleaded not guilty and claims he was framed for German’s murder, had initially argued that the trial should proceed without delay, even without access to the contents of German's devices.
Before the trial on Aug. 5, the court has scheduled additional conferences in May to review progress and address unresolved issues and in July to finalize trial details, resolve evidence-related matters, and consider final motions.
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