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November 15, 2009

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High court to hear more on NLV case

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Jan. 21, 2000 | 10:24 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court this week set a date of March 29 to hear a second round of arguments on a Nevada murder case involving Antonio Slack.

Slack is serving two life sentences for the 1989 slaying of 12-year-old Alanna Holmes in North Las Vegas.

The high court chose to hear the Slack v. McDaniel case to clarify laws involving "habeas corpus" appeals.Slack has made a complex series of appeals in state and federal court; the Supreme Court seems to be looking to define what appeals he is entitled to make.

Slack's lawyers believe he still has a right to have his case heard in federal court.

Two Nevada lawyers, assistant federal public defender Michael Pescetta, representing Slack, and David Sarnowski of the Nevada attorney general's office, delivered 30-minute arguments before the Supreme Court in October.

In an unusual request, the court asked the two lawyers to come back to further clarify how the case relates to the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.

The act curbed the ability of state inmates to get a federal review.

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