Judge rules Pope can continue with education

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.

Teenage murder suspect Conan Pope won the right this morning to continue his education.

District Judge Kathy Hardcastle signed a court order needed by the Clark County School District to allow the 16-year-old to attend an independent study program while he is awaiting trial.

Hardcastle's decision settled what was an unusual problem. Under Nevada law, children who are incarcerated are entitled to an education, and Pope took full advantage of that while in the Clark County Detention Center.

However, Pope was released on house arrest in August. As a result, he couldn't go to school and school district tutors weren't required to visit him at the home of his guardians.

Although Pope's defense attorney, Kristina Wildeveld, convinced school officials to allow Pope to attend a weekly independent study class, prosecutors objected, forcing Wildeveld to take the issue to Hardcastle.

This morning, Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent said he only objected because he did not know more about the program and with whom Pope would come into contact.

Pope was midway through the ninth grade when he shot his father, Frank, to death in January.

Laurent believes Pope shot his father in cold blood. Wildeveld intends to prove the slaying was justified by years of abuse.