LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas judge has ruled that former Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles is not indigent and does not qualify to have a standby attorney.
Telles, who is representing himself, appeared in court Wednesday to argue a motion he filed to compel the Metropolitan Police Department to move him to a different unit in the Clark County Detention Center. District Judge Michelle Leavitt denied the motion, and during the hearing she also questioned Telles about his financial status.
He is facing a murder charge in the killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German, who was fatally stabbed outside his home in September. Prosecutors have accused Telles of killing German because of articles he wrote about Telles’ conduct as an elected official. Telles has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, and has claimed that what prosecutors have called “overwhelming evidence” against him was planted at his home.
When Leavitt allowed Telles to represent himself, she stated that she may appoint him a standby attorney through the Clark County public defender’s office, who would be available to answer Telles’ questions and give him advice. Shortly after his arrest, Telles signed a financial affidavit indicating that he does not “have the ability to pay for an attorney.”
While he was represented by the public defender’s office, the Review-Journal published an investigation showing that he was appointed representation despite having thousands of dollars in property assets. Telles hired two private attorneys before he moved to represent himself.
On Wednesday, Telles told the judge that he and his wife own a home in Las Vegas and are currently trying to sell five homes in Arkansas. Telles said they are attempting to sell all of the homes together for about $519,000, but he has a mortgage of about $320,000 for the properties. Telles said he also earns about $2,800 a month in rental income from three of the properties, which he said goes toward the mortgage and repairs on the houses.
He also said he has a “couple thousand” dollars in bank accounts, and another account worth about $10,000.
“I’m going to make a finding that you are not indigent at this point,” Leavitt said. “It may change, so if you think it changes you can come back to the court to seek further relief.”
Telles said Wednesday that he intends to use the money from selling the homes in Arkansas to pay for a lawyer to represent him later on in the proceedings.
While arguing for his motion to compel the detention center to move him to a different housing unit in the jail, Telles said he should be moved so that he can conduct more legal research and have “more recreation time.”
Telles has claimed in court documents that he was placed in a higher security unit, where he is allowed out of his cell for 30 minutes a day, “as punishment for reporting the conduct of a known jailhouse informant,” who Telles said had tried to coerce him into giving a false confession.
Attorney Martina Bauhaus, who represents Metro and Sheriff Kevin McMahill, said that Telles is being treated the same as any other incarcerated defendant.
“I’m sorry, he chose to represent himself and as the saying goes — you made your bed, now you have to lay in it,” Bauhaus said.
Leavitt denied the motion, and said that she would not “tell the sheriff how to run his jail.”
The judge also delayed hearing arguments on the Review-Journal’s motion to suppress information about the investigation into German’s murder that Telles requested be released through subpoenas and court filings. The newspaper has argued in court fillings that the evidence could reveal confidential information about German’s sources that are currently protected by a court order.
Telles is scheduled to appear in court again on April 19.
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