Murder conviction upheld

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 | 10:19 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Tuesday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Steven Sanchez, who fatally beat to death another man with a rock in Clark County after arguments over drugs.

The court found the Clark County District Attorney's Office made some improper remarks in final arguments to the jury, but added there is "overwhelming evidence of guilt."

Sanchez and Alfonzo Marquez started to fight over a drug deal in July 1997. Marquez was knocked out.

Sanchez then put him in a car and drove to a wash some 20 minutes away. There Sanchez struck Marquez five or six times with a 10- to 15-pound rock, according to court records.

He then took the Marquez car but was captured in New Mexico.

Sanchez admitted he killed Marquez and took his car. He was sentenced to consecutive terms of 20 to 50 years on the convictions of first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon. His first appearance before the parole board will be in September 2017.

Sanchez claimed in his appeal that a prosecutor during the trial made improper remarks when he kept using the word "we" in addressing the jury.

The court said it has repeatedly held it was impermissible for the prosecutor to use the words "we" or "us" to suggest the prosecution is aligned with the jury.

In this case, the court said it could not say the prosecutor tried to suggest he was tied with the jury. Although the court found "no plain error," it warned prosecutors again they should refrain from using those words in the future.

The court said it was also "troubled" by a prosecutor's statement that compared the rights of the victims with the constitutional protections afforded to criminal defendant.

Quoting from an earlier decision, the court said, "It is wrong to imply that the system coddles criminals by providing them with more procedural protections than their victims."

While remarks were improper, the court said the verdict would have been the same in the absence of this misconduct.

The unanimous decision noted Sanchez did not dispute the evidence. And it said the statements of the prosecutor do not justify reversing the conviction.