Court briefs for April 25, 2001

Wednesday, April 25, 2001 | 10:18 a.m.

Jennings convicted for second time

Charles Edward Jennings' second trial ended the same way it did the first time around. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Tuesday.

Jennings will formally be sentenced Friday by District Judge Donald Mosley in the December 1996 death of James Brown.

According to authorities, Jennings became despondent and suicidal after losing his job with the U.S. Postal Service. When his termination was upheld, he started on a three-day crack cocaine binge with a friend.

Witnesses testified at both his trials that while under the influence of drugs, Jennings drove to the post office at 1001 E. Sunset Road to kill Brown and perhaps two other post office executives.

Jennings told police after his arrest that he and Brown struggled for the gun, which discharged. Brown suffered two gunshot wounds in the head. After the shooting, Jennings turned himself in and admitted the shooting to police.

Jennings was permitted a second trial because prosecutors erred when they added a kidnapping charge to his other charges following his testimony in the first trial.

Jennings didn't testify this time around. Instead, prosecutors read jurors a transcript of his testimony.

Convicted killer pleads guilty

A Las Vegas woman who was sentenced to 20 to 50 years in prison for stabbing her boyfriend to death pleaded guilty Tuesday to attacking a corrections officer while awaiting trial.

Kathleen Carter could get as much as six years added to her sentence for the attack, which didn't cause injuries.

District Judge Donald Mosley will decide June 6 whether to run her 1 one to 6-year sentence at the same time as her second-degree murder sentence or add it on.

According to prosecutors, Carter, 30, stabbed Robert Wiley Jr. because Wiley was upset about her drug usage and wanted to kick her out of his apartment.

Wiley was found on the bathroom floor of his apartment in October 1998, having bled to death from a stab wound in his leg.

During her trial in November, Carter claimed she stabbed Wiley in self-defense. But jurors convicted her of second-degree murder after learning she had given police at least six other explanations for Wiley's wound.

Carter was sentenced in January by District Judge Sally Loehrer.

Memorabilia must stay in cafe

District Court Judge Allan Earl has granted an injunction preventing Race Rock Cafe employees from removing memorabilia from the now-closed downtown Las Vegas restaurant until after an arbitration has settled claims of fees owed to Martin-Harris Construction.

There has been no date set yet for arbitration.

"It's a good sign for the subcontractors and Martin-Harris," Frank Martin of the construction company said. "This assures that assets of a significant value are left to cover our claim."

Martin alleges that the Race Rock owes the construction company more than $1 million in unpaid construction fees for the restaurant, which was built in 1999.

Race Rock closed earlier this month, saying that the restaurant was experiencing declining revenue due, in part, to construction at the nearby Neonopolis at Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street.

Andy Newman, chief executive officer for Race Rock International, has maintained that the company has paid everything that was approved in the contract.