Court briefs for April 6, 2001

Friday, April 6, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

Judge awaits plea decision

District Judge Michael Cherry will learn April 19 whether 16-year-old murder suspect Conan Pope will enter into a plea agreement.

Attorneys on the case were scheduled to inform Cherry of the boy's decision Thursday but asked for a postponement.

Pope is accused of shooting his father to death in January 2000. His attorney, Kristina Wildeveld, has argued that the boy reacted to years of physical and sexual abuse.

However, prosecutor Christopher Laurent has said he believes Frank Pope's death was the result of a premeditated and deliberate act.

Laurent said Thursday he and Wildeveld are working on an agreement that all parties can live with.

Death sentence is averted

A 28-year-old Las Vegas man convicted in February of killing an 84-year-old woman escaped a likely death sentence Thursday by agreeing to a no-parole life sentence.

Termaine Lytle made his decision seconds before a three-judge panel was to convene to decide his fate.

A jury couldn't decide if Lytle should die for strangling Selma Adelman three years ago. Consequently, the three-judge panel was going to make a decision Thursday following an evidentiary hearing.

Walker entered a plea agreement and is serving a 20-year-to-life sentence.

Mattsen, Milot complete penalties

The case against two men involved in the Ted Binion murder mystery was officially closed Thursday.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure closed the cases against David Mattsen and Michael Milot after learning they successfully paid off their fines or performed all of their community service.

Mattsen and Milot pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit grand larceny in October.

Milot, 33, was given until April 6 to pay a $2,000 fine and Mattsen, 55, opted to do 200 hours of community service in lieu of the fine. He also faced an April 6 deadline.

Tabish and his girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, were convicted of first-degree murder in Binion's death and are serving life sentences.