Court briefs for Jan. 7, 2003

Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2003 | 9:23 a.m.

Teacher arraigned on sex charges

A former Child Haven teacher accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl was arraigned Monday in District Court.

Duane Johnson, 37, pleaded not guilty to four sex counts, which included lewdness with a child under 14, open or gross lewdness and indecent exposure.

His trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 4.

Johnson was indicted by a grand jury in December.

Johnson allegedly groped a 13-year-old girl several times and exposed himself at Child Haven, a Clark County facility that houses neglected and abused children.

Johnson was one of the instructors the Clark County School District provided for the facility.

Plea deal made in murder case

A man accused of shooting a North Las Vegas man during an argument at an apartment complex pleaded guilty to murder charges in District Court.

William Kevin Smith of Las Vegas pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter with a deadly weapon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon as the result of a plea agreement.

Smith, 20, is scheduled to be sentenced before District Judge Donald Mosley on Feb. 20.

In exchange for Smith's guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the initial charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, said Deputy District Attorney Bernie Zadrowski.

Smith faces a four to 32-year sentence, Zadrowski said. He is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

Police said Smith shot Timothy Clough, 24, of North Las Vegas on June 20 at an apartment complex in the 3600 block of North Rancho Drive.