Court briefs for July 14, 2000

Friday, July 14, 2000 | 11:25 a.m.

Man pleads guilty to burglary

A Las Vegas man who was beaten by a group of bar patrons he tried to take hostage during a robbery last month pleaded guilty Thursday.

Deputy District Attorney Mike Schwarz said Brian Kennison, 24, pleaded guilty to burglary with a deadly weapon. He faces between two and 15 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.

According to police, Kennison walked into PT's Pub on South Nellis Boulevard on June 19 and threatened to kill the seven people inside.

Someone activated an alarm and when dispatchers called the bar, Kennison told them not to bother them. When the police arrived, he told them he would kill hostages unless the police left.

An employee and other hostages jumped Kennison, police said.

Man sentenced for robbery

A Las Vegas man convicted in May of killing a friend was given an eight to 30-year sentence for robbery Thursday in addition to his no-parole life sentence for the murder.

District Judge Mark Gibbons could have run Darris Taylor's robbery sentence consecutive to the life sentence, but decided to run it at the same time, Deputy Special Public Defender Dayvid Figler said.

Taylor was convicted of killing Charles Melvin Rayford, 28. He is already serving three life sentences because of a prior conviction.

Seven seek judgeship

CARSON CITY -- Seven lawyers have applied to the State Commission on Judicial Selection to succeed District Judge Mike Fondi of Carson City, who is retiring.

The deadline was Thursday. The applicants are former district attorney and U.S. Attorney for Nevada Bill Maddox, now in private practice in Carson City; District Attorney Noel Waters; Patrick King of Gardnerville, who is in private law practice and president of Whiskers & Paws Catering; and Kay M. Macuil, who works for the Elko County district attorney's office.

The others are Tim Terry, head of the Medicaid Fraud Unit in the state attorney general's office, who ran against Fondi in the last election; Joseph Ward of the attorney general's office; and James Shewan of Reno, who is with the Washoe County district attorney's office.

The commission will interview applicants on Aug. 10 and recommend three names to Gov. Kenny Guinn, who will make the final selection.