Opening statements in State v. Mack began this morning shortly after 10 a.m. in District Court Courtroom 10D.
The District Attorney’s Office detailed a timeline, motive and method of the crimes alleged to have been committed by the defendant Darren Mack. Prosecutor Robert Daskas detailed how Mack allegedly premeditated the death of his wife and made a list of things he had to do to accomplish the murder. He then told the jury the defendant intended to murder District Court Judge Chuck Weller of Reno. Photographs of the crime scenes were displayed to the jury, as well as videotaped statements made by the defendant.
Defense attorney Scott Freeman portrayed Darren Mack as an abused husband who was under intense pressure during his divorce from Charla Mack, whom Freeman described as a violent individual with a split personality. Freeman described a highly contentious relationship between the Mack’s, which extended itself into the divorce proceedings.
Freeman then described events on the day Charla Mack died, telling jurors Darren Mack was attacked by Charla Mack and he was defending himself from her assault.
Defense Attorney David Chesnoff told the jury that Darren Mack suffers from a delusional disorder that prevents him from seeing reality and that he believes things that a reasonable person would discount or dismiss. He explained that Mack shot Judge Weller because he believes that the Second Amendment allows individuals to use weapons as a defense against tyrrany. Chesnoff explained that Mack didn’t intend to kill the judge and that he was only sending a message about the unfairness he believed he had experienced from the court system in his divorce case.
The trial is expected to continue this afternoon following a lunch break at 12:30 p.m. with witness testimony.