Hart cleared on robbery charges

Erica D. Johnson

Monday, Sept. 29, 2003 | 9:48 a.m.

Jeff Hart, one of the alleged 311 Boyz, has been cleared of additional felony charges stemming from a residential robbery in May, a prosecutor said Friday.

During a bail hearing before District Judge Michael Cherry, Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent said that prosecutors in Juvenile Court had agreed to drop seven felony counts filed against the teen in connection with a May 27 robbery.

The charges include robbery, burglary and assault, all with a deadly weapon.

Hart, 17, and nine other teens still face 13 felony counts in a separate attack on Stephen Tanner Hansen, also 17, who was seriously injured when he was hit in the face with a rock.

Laurent told Cherry he had spoken to juvenile prosecutors, who had informed him that further investigation into the robbery had cleared Hart.

School records from Centennial High School show Hart was in school at 1 p.m., the time of the robbery, Laurent said. A teacher at the school also said Hart was in class at the time in question.

Jonathan VanBoskerck, the juvenile prosecutor who handled the case, would not confirm on Friday that charges against the teen would be dropped. He noted that all juvenile cases are sealed.

VanBoskerck said any changes in Hart's case would not be stated on record until the teen's next Juvenile Court hearing, which is scheduled for Oct. 1.

During Thursday's hearing Cherry placed Hart on house arrest without bail in connection with the attack on Hansen. Hart's parents, who were in court Thursday, clapped and cried upon hearing the news.

Hart still faces an additional juvenile charge stemming from a July 3 fight in which two teens were injured. Brandon Gallion, 16, also faces charges in that incident.

Prosecutors in Juvenile Court are trying to get the cases moved to the adult system.

Hart was being held at the Clark County Detention Center on both the charges relating to Hansen and the juvenile charges. He is expected to remain in custody at least until his Juvenile Court hearing.

Hart's attorney, Sean Sullivan, was pleased with the judge's decision to place Hart on house arrest.

Sullivan had long argued that his client's connection to the robbery was one of mistaken identity. He'd told Cherry that the case "didn't hold water."

Authorities had said that Hart held a Las Vegas man at gunpoint and stole money and a computer. They said Hart had barricaded the man in his closet while he committed the robbery. Further details on the case were not available.

Sullivan said the victim picked Hart's picture out of a newspaper article after the attack on Hansen became public. He said the man initially described Hart as having lighter hair and not having braces. Hart has braces.

Prosecutors, however, said the man was confident that Hart was his attacker when he picked Hart out of several lineups.