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The penalty phase in State v. Young has been continued until 10:15 a.m. on June 5, 2006 in District Court Dept. 18.

The jury in State v. Young reached an unanimous verdict this afternoon. Young was found guilty on all fourteen counts including murder. Young was on trial for participating in the murders of four men during a robbery in 1998. The jury must now decide punishment and a penalty phase in the case will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 31 in Dept. 18 District Court.

A jury found Gonzalo Villalobos guilty of second-degree murder with use of a deadly this afternoon in Dept. 7 of the District Court. Villalobos will be sentenced July 25. The jury also found Villalobos guilty of four counts of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon and six counts of discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle.

Michael A. Murphy appeared before Criminal Arraignment Hearing Master Kevin Williams this afternoon and entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of First Degree Kidnapping. Williams is accused of abducting an seven-year-old child with the intent of sexual assualt. Williams’ trial date was set for August 28, 2006 in Dept. 17, Judge Michael Cherry.

Attorney Richard A. Schonfeld has filed a petition seeking oral arguments in support of a petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in State v. Titus, Ryan and Gross. Schonfeld details why the complaint charging Craig Titus with murder, kidnapping and arson should be dismissed.

Titus was indicted by the Clark County Grand Jury March 23, 2006 and charged with Murder with Use of a Deadly Weapon, First Degree Kidnapping, and Third Degree Arson following the death of personal assistant Melissa James. The body of James was found burned in the desert west of Las Vegas.

Oral arguments will be heard by Judge Jackie Glass at 8:30 a.m. July 13, 2006 in District Court Dept. 5.

Document:
Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

Judge Nancy Saitta scheduled a bail hearing for defendants Williams, Smith, Slocume and Brown at 9 a.m. June 7, 2006 in Dept. 18 of the Eighth Judicial District Court. In addition, a hearing for a petition for writ of habeas corpus was set for 10:30 a.m. July 24, 2006.

During today’s status check a trial date of October 9, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. was scheduled for all defendants.

Sentencing for Doris Payne has been postponed until June 15, 2006 in District Court Dept. 12. Payne, an international jewel thief, faces the possibility of being sentenced as a habitual criminal. Payne’s sentencing was postponed today at the request of her attorney.

Grand Jury Transcripts in State v. Williams, et. al. (06-C-221908-C) have been released.

Williams 1
Williams 2
Williams 3
Williams 4
Williams 5

Defendants:

Daryle Williams, Demarcus Smith, As’Ryen Brown and Avery Slocome

Defendant Joshua M. Corcran (06F04949X) unconditionally waived his right to a preliminary hearing this morning in Justice Court Dept. 3. Corcran has agreed to enter into a negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors charging him with 5 counts of reckless driving. He will enter a plea at 10:30 a.m. June 8 in the Arraignment Court of the Eighth Judicial District Court.

Corcran was charged with reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter following a February 19 traffic accident that caused the deaths of Victor De La Cruz-De Leon, Reymunda Lopez-Vazquez, Jose Manuel Lopez-Sanchez and Jose Roberto Mejia Lang. Another passenger, Cecilia Cruz, was injured in the accident.

The negotiated plea agreement removes the involuntary manslaughter counts. Corcran faces a sentence ranging from probation to 30 years in prison.

The Clark County Grand Jury issued an indictment today against the following individuals:

Jeremiah Ayala and Amrin Ruth Ansley were charged with Murder with Use of a Deadly Weapon, Murder (Open), Child Abuse with Substantial Bodily Harm and Child Neglect with Substantial Bodily Harm in connection with the death of 18-month-old Brodie Ansley. (See Case # 06-C-222366-C).

These charges upgrade the State’s case against Ansley from Second Degree Murder By Child Neglect to Open Murder. In addition, the Grand Jury added the Deadly Weapon clause to the Murder charge against Ayala. The District Attorney has the option to seek a consolodation of the cases or dismiss the previous case (06-C-221185-C).

Ansley and Ayala appear in District Court Dept. 2 tomorrow (May 18) at 9 a.m.