LAS VEGAS (KTNV — Robert Telles, the former Clark County official accused of killing a Las Vegas journalist, returned to court on Wednesday morning for the latest hearing in his ongoing murder trial.
The former Public Administrator is accused of fatally stabbing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German outside his home. German had reported on the "turmoil" employees experience under Telles' leadership, something Telles would take to social media to deny and refute.
A recent hearing would see Telles' motion to push the trial back to March 2024 granted by Judge Michelle Leavitt. In the filing, Telles, who is representing himself, argued that his attempt to build a defense case for himself was being "hampered" by Clark County Detention Center, where he is currently being held without bail.
Judge Leavitt would agree with Telles about the "significant issues" in the discovery process during the October hearing. In several motions, Telles has alleged that attorneys representing Metro have failed to provide him with the necessary documents to build his defense and also misconduct during his confinement.
In a February jailhouse interview with Channel 13, Telles told 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears that representing himself would help get the case to trial faster than with an attorney.
"They had conveyed to me that while they were going to provide a vigorous defense, they wouldn't be able to get me to trial for at least two years," he said in the interview. "And for me, that was obviously a concern because I wanted my day in court sooner rather than later."
