Chester Stiles, accused of 20 counts including sexual assault and lewdness with a child, entered a plea of not guilty during an arraignment this morning before Judge Jennifer Togliatti. Stiles remains in the Clark County Detention Center on a no bail hold.
The state requested a trial within 60 days. The judge set a trial date of April 14, 2008.
Six defendants in State v. Alcantar entered guilty pleas today (Nov. 19) before District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt. The six individuals will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on January 3, 2008 in Department 12. ÂÂ
The six defendants are members of the Mongols motorcycle club who were charged with numerous counts stemming from an April 2002 gun battle at the Harrah’s Laughlin Resort. Previously, six members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club admitted guilt for their actions in the crime. Remaining defendant, Frederick Donahue, has not entered a plea and remains a fugitive.
Darren Mack entered a guilty plea for the death of Charla Mack, and an Alford Plea for the attempted murder of Reno judge Chuck Weller this morning in a Las Vegas courtroom. Specifically, Mack entered a guilty plea to a charge of First Degree Murder and an Alford Plea for the charge of Attempt Murder with Use of a Deadly Weapon. An Alford plea is entered when a defendant does not admit a crime, but agrees the prosecution has presented enough evidence to convince a jury to find the defendant guilty.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 17 and 18, 2008 in Las Vegas.
A man accused of driving his car up onto a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk near Bally’s has agreed to be sentenced next month to six terms of life without the possibility of parole for three counts of murder with use of a deadly weapon for causing the deaths of three individuals. Stephen Ressa pled guilty but mentally ill in District Court Department 12. Judge Michelle Leavitt accepted Ressa’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing on 18 counts for November 9.
Ressa’s actions in September 2005 left Gordon Kusayanagi, Mark Modaressi, and Richard Bradford dead. Many other individuals were injured. Ressa likely will be sentenced to hundreds of years in the Nevada Department of Corrections under mental health observation.
Ressa is the first murder defendant to plead guilty but mentally ill following a 2007 Nevada State Legislature action to reinstate the plea.
This morning District Court Judge Michael Cherry accepted guilty pleas from six defendants charged in the 2002 melee at the Harrah’s in Laughlin involving members of two rival motorcycle clubs. Each defendant agreed to plead guilty in exchange for 12 to 30 month sentences, which will run concurrent to prison time negotiated with the Federal government. Calvin Schaefer pled guilty to battery with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm. Raymond Foakes plead guilty to one count of challenge to a fight. Dale Leedom pled guilty to battery with substantial bodily harm. Maurice Eunice pled no contest to battery with substantial bodily harm. Rodney Cox pled guilty to battery with substantial bodily harm. Sentencing was set for February 24, 2007 in Department 17 at 9 AM.
Monique Maestas pled guilty this afternoon to charges of Murder with Use of a Deadly Weapon and Attempt Murder with Use of a Deadly Weapon in connection to a 2003 Mesquite trailer park attack that left one child dead and another paralyzed. Maestas accepted the deal this afternoon prior to jury selection for her trial, which had been scheduled to begin today. Maestas will be sentenced by Judge Donald Mosley at 9 a.m. on September 22, 2006 in the courtroom of District Court Department 14.
The state retains the right to argue at sentencing, however, has agreed that Maestas will be sentenced to a term of life with the possibility of parole, plus an equal and consecutive term of life with the possibility of parole as to the Murder charge. This means the state has agreed that Maestas will be sentenced to a term of 40 years to life for the Murder of Kristyanna Cowan.
In addition, Maestas will be sentenced for the Attempt Murder charge to a minimum term of two (2) to 20 years, plus an equal and consecutive minimum term of two (2) to 20 years for the deadly weapon enhancement. However, the minimum sentence cannot exceed 40 percent of the maximum term of imprisonment. Judge Mosley must determine if this sentence will run concurrent or consecutive to the sentencing imposed for the Murder charge.
Matt Baker and Shane Myers have pled guilty to First Degree Kidnapping and First Degree Murder in connection with the October 2003 slaying of 17-year-old Jared Whaley. Baker and Myers next appear in court August 16, 2006 to schedule a sentencing hearing in front of Judge Joe Bonaventure in District Court Department 6. Baker, Myers and four other young men lured Whaley to an area in the desert outside of Boulder City. There Whaley was slain, mutilated and buried in a shallow grave.
