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Chester A. Stiles, accused of Lewdness of a Child, and other charges, will make a first appearance Wednesday (Oct. 17) at 7:30 a.m. in Courtroom 7A.

Stiles, the focus of a nationwide manhunt, will appear before Judge Deborah Lippis for an arrest warrant return stemming from a 2004 Lewdness of a Minor charge, and 20 additional counts added Oct. 1, 2007 alledging lewdness, sexual assault, and the use of a child in the production of pornography.

KLAS-TV will provide television pool coverage outside the courtroom. Media should plan on entering the Regional Justice Center through the south entrance, located at 201 Clark Ave. The building will open 7 a.m. to members of the media. Media seeking information about the media pool should contact Media Representative Robert Martinez at (702) 792-8870.

Satellite Coordinates:
Galaxy 26 3E

Jury selection started at 1:30 p.m. with the attorneys interviewing eight potential jurors today. When jury selection ended at 6:30 p.m., two jurors were passed for cause and will be called back later in the week as the court seeks to find 35 jurors for the final jury pool. Today’s group of jurors, three men and five women, were asked about their knowledge of the case, their interests and opinions. Jury selection resumes at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning (Oct. 16).

In an impromptu court appearance this morning, Walter Alexander waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He will be arraigned on a charge of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery at 9 a.m. on Oct. 23 in the District Court Arraignment Courtroom, located in the lower level. District Attorney David Roger indicated that Alexander has agreed to truthfully testify in upcoming hearings. In exchange the District Attorney’s Office will recommend to the judge that Alexander receive a suspended sentence.

Charles H. Cashmore waived his right to a preliminary hearing this morning before Judge Joe M. Bonaventure and agreed to be bound over to District Court for arraignment at 9 a.m. on Oct. 23 in the Arraignment Court. District Attorney David Roger indicated that Cashmore would be charged with a single count of Accessory to Robbery and had agreed to testify truthfully in future hearings. Cashmore’s attorney Edward Miley concurred with Mr. Roger.

Cashmore will next appear before Hearing Master Kevin Williams where an amended complaint will be filed in open court. Williams could set a trial date or a status check to be heard before Judge Jackie Glass.

Jury selection begins Monday (Oct. 15) at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 10D. Media wishing to sit in on jury selection should arrive on the tenth floor by 9:30 a.m. to check in with the Court Information Office. A total of 8 seats will be made available on a first-come basis. Jury selection will begin with general questions and then will proceed to individual questioning. A blank jury questionnaire will be made available to all interested media.

A media pool location has been set up on the corner of Third Street and Bonneville Ave. Larry Warner of CBS News has created a web page detailing the pooling arrangements. CBS News does not intend to videotape jury selection. Judge Herndon has yet to rule on the placement of a local pool camera during jury selection. Court Information Officer Michael Sommermeyer will notify local Media Representative Robert Martinez at KLAS by 9 a.m. if a camera will be allowed during jury selection.

At the request of the parties, a status check has been scheduled for Charles H. Cashmore at 7:30 a.m. Monday (Oct. 15) in Justice Court Department 9 (Courtroom 6A). A television pool has been created for this hearing. Contact Media Representative Robert Martinez at rmartinez [at] klastv.com for specific information. Cameras will be limited to one television camera, provided by KLAS-TV, and one print camera pool, provided by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Media interviews following this hearing must be done on the first floor of the Regional Justice Center in the media area set aside in the north canyon. No cameras or interviews will be allowed on the sixth floor.

All media wishing to participate in the television pool must submit media requests with the Court 72-hours prior to the start of the trial. A media pool area will be provided via microwave feed to the Clark County Parking Lot, near Bonneville Avenue.

A still pool photographer, as selected by the media, will be allowed to occupy a designated area of the courtroom.

Media wishing to obtain seats during this trial should contact Michael Sommermeyer, Court Information Officer, prior to the start of jury selection. Media must present credentials in advance to obtain media seating for this trial.

District Court Judge Douglas W. Herndon announced this morning a change of venue in State v. Darren Mack from Washoe County to Clark County. Judge Herndon, a Clark County District Court Judge, was assigned to hear the Washoe County case in Reno by the Nevada Supreme Court when all judges in the Second Judicial District Court were disqualified.

The trial is now expected to start October 15 in Las Vegas. Next week, the Eighth Judicial District Court’s Jury Services will call 150 prospective jurors to complete juror questionnaires. From this pool, the prosecution and defense attorneys will review the jury pool looking for potential conflicts. Starting Oct. 15, jurors in this jury pool will be interviewed during voir dire, with a goal of seating a jury for trial within two to four days.

Darren Roy Mack, 45, of Reno, is charged with First Degree murder in the death of his wife, Charla Mack, 39, and also attempted First Degree Murder in the shooting of Second Judicial District Family Court Judge Chuck Weller. It is anticipated the trial will last three to four weeks.

Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Joe M. Bonaventure scheduled a preliminary hearing for Nov. 8 and 9 in Las Vegas and ordered all defendants in the case to be present. In addition this morning, attorneys for co-defendants Walter Alexander and Clarence Stewart acknowledged that their clients were aware and understood the charges against them. The preliminary hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8 in Courtroom 1A of the Regional Justice Center.

This morning the Clark County Grand Jury announced the indictments of Brian P. Atkinson-Turner and Kathryn T. Ogara on four charges, including child neglect, conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act, possession of controlled substance with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The state alleges that Ogara on August 7, 2007 placed a two-year-old child in a situation where she might have been injured by seating her unrestrained in the front seat of a motor vehicle with an unsecured loaded firearm in the front of the vehicle. In addition, both defendants have been accused of placing the child near loaded firearms, narcotics paraphernalia and near a marijuana growing operation. Further, the state alleges Atkinson-Turner and Ogara set up their house for growing marijuana and conspired to then sell the drug.

Atkinson-Turner and Ogara next appear for arraignment in the District Court Arraignment Courtroom at 1:30 p.m. on October 17, 2007. The case, 07C237532C, has been assigned to District Court Judge Donald Mosley, Department 14. Bail in the amount of $11,400 for both defendants, which was originally posted in Las Vegas Township Justice Court, was transferred to the District Court case.