NEV. SLAYING SUSPECT TO REPRESENT HIMSELF

A former Las Vegas-area elected official endured searing questions from a state court judge but got the go-ahead Tuesday to represent himself at trial on a murder charge in the killing of a veteran investigative journalist.

“It’s always unwise to represent yourself in any matter, let alone a first-degree murder case,” Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt told Robert “Rob” Telles, a former Democratic county official accused of stabbing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German to death last September.

“I understand, your honor,” Telles said.

Telles, 46, a lawyer since 2015, had his license to practice suspended after his arrest in German’s slaying. He stood in court Tuesday in jail clothing with his arms shackled to his waist and a sheaf of papers in his hand. He remains jailed without bail.

“You’ve never done even a misdemeanor criminal trial?” the judge asked as she grilled Telles for more than 30 minutes about his crucial decision in a case that could get him life in prison without parole. Leavitt specializes in handling murder trials.

“No, your honor,” Telles responded. His experience was in civil matters, he said, adding that he handled three jury trials.

Telles does not have to be a lawyer to represent himself. The U.S. Supreme Court held in 1975 that criminal defendants in state courts have a constitutional right to represent themselves.

“You understand that if you choose to represent yourself and you don’t get a result that you like, you can’t say on appeal ‘I was bad at representing myself ?’” Leavitt asked.

“I understand that,” Telles replied.

Telles recently told The Associated Press in a jail interview that he wanted to drop Damian Sheets, an attorney he hired in January, and find another lawyer to get his case to trial quicker than the Nov. 6 date currently set. Sheets was the third private attorney Telles hired since his arrest.

Leavitt on Tuesday did not change the trial date.