Robert Telles Trial Day 1

Here is my entire article-

**Rewritten Article:**

Opening arguments commenced on Wednesday in the trial of a former politician accused of the murder of a Las Vegas investigative reporter.

The jury selection process, which took place on Tuesday, involved extensive questioning by both prosecutors and defense attorneys. The final jury, consisting of 12 individuals plus alternates, is evenly split between men and women—seven of each. They will decide the fate of Robert Telles, the former Clark County Public Administrator.

On Monday, several documents from electronic devices that the late journalist, Jeff German, had in his possession during his investigative work were handed over to the trial lawyers. These documents had been the subject of significant concern, as they were stripped of privileged information protected by the First Amendment by Review-Journal officials. Although this process began in May, it was not completed until the Monday before the trial.

At approximately 10:45 a.m., Robert Telles, accompanied by his legal team, entered the courtroom. With the jury present, the indictment was read, and Judge Michelle Leavitt emphasized that Telles had pleaded not guilty and was to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

Judge Leavitt provided the jury with instructions regarding their responsibilities in the trial, permitting note-taking but restricting the notebooks to the courtroom until deliberation begins.

### **Prosecution’s Opening Statement**

Chief Deputy District Attorney Pam Weckerly delivered the opening statements for the prosecution. She began by describing how neighbors of Jeff German became concerned when they were unable to contact the journalist, whose body was discovered on September 9, 2022. He was found decomposing with his phone in his pocket, and there were no signs of forced entry at his residence.

A technical issue briefly halted a video slideshow that was part of the prosecution’s presentation, but it was soon resolved, allowing Weckerly to continue. She detailed that German, who was over 60 years old, was initially believed to have suffered a medical emergency until evidence revealed he had been killed on September 2. Blood was present at the crime scene.

Surveillance footage from a taco shop the night before German’s body was found showed the journalist alive. The jury was then shown a grainy video of German being attacked outside his home, with the attacker lying in wait before fleeing to a maroon SUV. Autopsy photos were also presented to the jury.

Weckerly recounted German’s investigative reporting on Telles, which highlighted issues within his office. This reporting led to Telles losing his primary election, a fact that Telles disputed, even taking to Twitter to accuse German of being a bully and claiming his stories were politically motivated.

The prosecution connected Telles to the crime by showing a mapped route between the homes of German and Telles. Video evidence depicted a person in a hat and orange clothing walking into German’s neighborhood and later attacking him. The prosecution argued that DNA found under German’s fingernails matched Telles’. Additionally, evidence including a shoe, a hat, and a bag, all found at Telles’ home, appeared consistent with items shown in surveillance footage.

A video interview between German and Telles was played, in which Telles addressed allegations of misconduct in his office and denied having an inappropriate relationship with an employee.

### **Defense’s Opening Statements**

The defense began its opening statements just before noon. Attorney Robert Draskovich portrayed Telles as a family man and a self-made individual who worked in HVAC to fund his law school education, eventually becoming an elected official. Draskovich highlighted changes Telles made in his office that were unpopular with long-time employees, particularly a reduction in overtime, which led to significant pushback.

Draskovich suggested that Telles had been targeted by corporate interests and that his efforts to expose corruption were met with resistance. He argued that the investigation into these allegations was halted once German began his inquiries, implying a bias against Telles.

The defense raised doubts about the investigation, pointing out that mobile phone data, which was being tracked at the time of German’s killing, did not place Telles’ phone at the crime scene. Draskovich also noted that 67 vehicles matched the description of the SUV seen near the crime scene, yet the police focused solely on Telles’ vehicle. Furthermore, he stated that no blood from German was found on the items retrieved from Telles’ home.

Draskovich questioned the behavior of an LVMPD detective involved in the case, implying that evidence may have been mishandled. He also argued that losing a job is not a motive for murder, and killing a journalist does not eliminate a story. The defense concluded by suggesting that other potential leads had not been thoroughly investigated.

### **Witness Testimonies**

The first witness called by the prosecution was Holly Bailey, who had been German’s neighbor for 27 years. She recounted her observations on September 2, when she noticed that German’s garage door was unusually left open. Despite feeling uneasy, she was unable to check on him immediately. The next day, her husband discovered German’s body, prompting a 911 call. Bailey emotionally described the shock and disbelief they experienced.

The defense chose not to cross-examine Bailey. Her husband, Roy Bailey, was the next witness. He also described the unusual sight of German’s open garage door and the distress of finding his neighbor’s body.

Debbie Ryan, another neighbor of German’s, provided similar testimony, recounting her attempts to contact German and her shock upon learning of his death from Holly Bailey.

The prosecution then called Claire Browning, a senior crime analyst with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, to the stand. She described the procedures followed at the crime scene, including the preservation of evidence. Browning’s testimony was supported by photographs, including graphic images of German’s decomposed body.

Defense attorney Draskovich cross-examined Browning, questioning the handling of the crime scene and the timing of certain actions taken by the investigators.

The trial continued with the testimony of other key witnesses, including Jonathan Martinez, who testified about seeing a person in orange clothing driving a red SUV near the crime scene, and retired LVMPD detective Cliff Mogg, who detailed the process of gathering surveillance footage and tracking the suspect’s movements.

Mogg’s testimony highlighted the extensive efforts to track the red SUV and the person seen in orange clothing, ultimately leading to the conclusion that the vehicle belonged to Telles. He also addressed the tracking of Telles’ phone, noting that it was not near the crime scene at the time of the murder, a tactic sometimes used by suspects to avoid detection.

The trial was adjourned for the day, with proceedings set to resume on Thursday morning.

### **Background on Robert Telles and Jeff German**

Robert Telles, a lawyer and former Clark County public official, has been a resident of the area for over 20 years. He graduated from UNLV’s Boyd School of Law in 2014 and subsequently founded Accolade Law, specializing in estate planning and probate. Telles served as the Clark County Public Administrator from 2019 until January 2023. His tenure was marred by controversy, particularly concerning allegations of bullying and retaliation within his office, which were exposed by investigative journalist Jeff German.

Jeff German, a seasoned investigative reporter, had been with the Las Vegas Review-Journal since 2010, following a long career at the Las Vegas Sun. Known for his impactful reporting, German had uncovered numerous issues within Telles’ office, leading to significant public scrutiny. His work, particularly the stories that revealed the turmoil within Telles’ office, played a critical role in the events leading to his tragic death on Labor Day weekend in 2022. German was found with seven stab wounds, including those to his neck and torso, according to police reports.