Accused Murderer of Las Vegas Journalist Seeks Judge’s Removal Over Alleged Bias

Las Vegas, NV — Robert Telles, the man indicted for the murder of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, has filed a motion seeking the removal of Judge Michelle Leavitt from his case. Telles alleges the judge’s “deep-seated bias” in favor of the Clark County District Attorney (DA) and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Metro).

Telles was charged with the murder of Jeff German, who was found stabbed to death outside his Summerlin home on September 3, 2022. The grand jury indicted Telles in October 2022, and he was arrested by Las Vegas police four days later.

In a motion filed on December 17, 2023, in Clark County District Court, Telles argued for the disqualification of Judge Leavitt, stating that her alleged bias would make fair judgment impossible. The motion raised specific points, accusing the judge of possible collusion with the DA and attempting to allow the DA to prejudice Telles in the eyes of the press and the public.

The document claimed, “If Judge Leavitt is not disqualified, her deep-seated favoritism for the DA and Metro will very likely cause her to make future rulings that will substantially violate Defendant’s constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury trial.”

This is not the first attempt by Telles to remove Judge Leavitt from his case. In March, he made a similar request, alleging that the judge antagonized him during a hearing. However, Judge Jerry Wiese denied the request, stating that he did not see a problem in how Judge Leavitt treated Telles.

A hearing on the latest motion is scheduled for January 11, 2024, in Judge Wiese’s courtroom.

Credits: Fox4Vegas