Nevada murder trial begins for Las Vegas-area Democrat politician accused in journalist’s slaying

A Las Vegas lawyer spoke out as the trial of a former Las Vegas-area politician accused of killing an investigative journalist began Monday with jury selection.

Former Clark County property manager and Democrat Robert Tellez has remained jailed since his arrest in September 2022, just days after Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was found slashed and stabbed to death outside his home over Labor Day weekend.

Las Vegas attorney Mark Randazza told Fox News Digital that he doesn’t know Tellez personally but sensed something was wrong.

“I don’t claim to know Telles, but I have been to dinner parties where he was a guest,” Randazza said. “I never felt he was capable of doing anything like that, but I always thought he was a little bit eccentric. But to be ‘normal’ in Las Vegas, you have to be a little bit eccentric in a lot of ways, and I say that with pride.”

Jury selection begins Monday for former Las Vegas-area politician accused of murdering investigative journalist

Robert Telles washes his car outside his home in Las Vegas on September 6, 2022. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via The Associated Press)

German, 69, was found slashed and stabbed to death in the backyard of her home after Telles “lied in wait” for her to come outside, according to the criminal complaint.

Prosecutors say an article German wrote in early 2022 about Tellez and the turbulent county office was the motive for the killing.

Randazza said there is an interesting First Amendment aspect to the case, which he said is his office’s primary interest in the matter and the only part that has far-reaching implications beyond just an interest in the actual crime.

“As part of the investigation and prosecution, the Las Vegas Police Department obtained Mr. German’s press documents and notes, including those stored on Mr. German’s cell phone. Mr. German’s employer, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, cited Nevada’s News Shield law in an attempt to block police and prosecutors from examining Mr. German’s devices and documents,” Randazza said.

“Journalists generally have a First Amendment privilege to refuse to disclose their stories, which may contain information about their sources. The Nevada Supreme Court held that this privilege does not disappear with a reporter’s death and protects the information from direct disclosure to the government. Ultimately, the Review-Journal and prosecutors reached an agreement that allowed a third party to inspect Jarman’s equipment to screen for classified information.”

Telles became an attorney in 2015 and ran for Clark County Trustee in 2018 as a Democrat. After his arrest, he lost his elected position and his law license was suspended. Telles has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and could face life in prison if convicted. He remains jailed as he prepares to face a jury.

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Clark County Executive Robert Tellez, right, talks with Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German on May 11, 2022. (KM Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via The Associated Press)

Randazza criticized Telles’ initial choice to defend himself.

“He’s torn between hiring an attorney or representing himself. Representing himself is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen someone do in a courtroom, but it’s his constitutional right. But it looks like he’s hired an attorney again,” Randazza said.

Telles’ lawyer, Robert Draskovich, said his client “looks forward to trial and is eager to tell his story,” the Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors say they have strong evidence, including DNA believed to be Telles’s found under German’s fingernails and pieces of a straw hat and shoe found in Telles’ home that resemble those worn by a man seen on video outside German’s house.

However, Randazza again criticised Telles’ approach and defensive strategy.

“His ‘I didn’t do it’ defense seems like a poor strategy. There are other defenses besides ‘There must be another guy who looks like me and there must be loads of evidence in his house,'” Randazza said.

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Robert Telles (KM Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service)

In court documents, Telles said: Unlawfully detained by the police Prior to his arrest, officer body camera footage from the traffic stop in which he was detained was improperly deleted, and blood tests taken at the hospital after his arrest and medical records for cuts on his wrists that he described as self-inflicted were not included as evidence in his case.

Clark County District Judge Michelle Leavitt denied other requests to dismiss the case, but Telles continued to represent herself while hiring and firing lawyers. Telles argued that Leavitt was biased against her and twice tried to have her removed from the case.

“He believes Judge Leavitt is biased against him. [her] “Decline. This is rarely a strong strategy and has not been successful so far. And just to give you an idea, when it comes to judges with integrity, you may be able to find someone to match Leavitt, but you will not be able to beat her in the integrity race,” Randazza said.

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Telles had wanted the trial to begin quickly, but it has been delayed in part by a legal battle in the state Supreme Court by the Review-Journal to protect the release of confidential sources stored on German’s cellphone and computer, arguing that the names and unpublished materials are protected from disclosure under the First Amendment and Nevada law.

Police argued that their investigation was not complete until they had searched for devices that could contain evidence. The court first gave the newspaper, its lawyers and consultants time to review its files.

Fox News Digital’s Daniel Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.