LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Robert Telles, the former Clark County public administrator accused of killing a local investigative journalist, made a bid on Tuesday morning to dismiss his lawyer and represent himself in his upcoming November trial.
Judge Michelle Leavitt, an Eighth Judicial District Court judge, went back and forth with Telles on the motion during court proceedings, telling him, "I'm not playing games, this is a very serious charge."
Telles told the judge that his self-representation would be a "temporary situation" until he was able to find "better representation."
Telles' most recently-dismissed attorney, Damien Sheets is the fourth attorney hired by Telles in the past five months. Telles told KTNV in a recent jailhouse interview that his main goal is to find representation to help move his previously postponed November court date to April or May.
Telles told 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears that he plans to represent himself because he believes he was "framed" and several pieces of evidence in the case were "planted" by local law enforcement.
RELATED: Robert Telles claims he was framed, wants to represent himself in murder case
If allowed to represent himself, Telles would be entitled to know if the slain Las Vegas Review-Journal Jeff German had any information that would clear Telles of the charge against him.
In an ongoing case, the Review-Journal argues that reviewing German’s files could improperly expose confidential information about stories German was working on, violating First Amendment protections and Nevada state law shielding reporters from revealing contacts and sources.
