Man wants to represent himself in retrial

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, July 14, 2005 | 9:27 a.m.

A 24-year-old man wants to represent himself at his retrial in the execution-style slaying of four young men in August 1998.

District Judge Nancy Saitta was scheduled to hear from Terrell Young on Wednesday, but Young refused to be taken from the Clark County Detention to attend his hearing.

Saitta scheduled a video hearing for Young this afternoon to hear the matter.

A Clark County jury convicted Young in 1999 in the killings of 20-year-old Tracey Gorringe, 20-year-old Peter Talamantez, 19-year-old Matthew Mowen and 19-year-old Jeffrey Biddle.

The Nevada Supreme Court, however, ordered a new trial for Young because during Young's initial trial, which resulted in a life sentence without parole, District Judge Joseph Pavlikowski failed to properly deal with Young's contention that there was animosity and a lack of communication between Young and his court-appointed lawyer, Lew Wolfbrandt.

During the jury selection for his 1999 trial Young jumped up from the defense table, pushed the papers off and took a swing at Wolfbrandt. Young then grabbed a chair and threw it into the jury box. He was then tackled by the bailiff at the court reporter's feet.

Young was brought back in the afternoon wearing a stun belt. During the course of jury selection Young stood up and spit at Wolfbrandt, but the bailiffs turned on the belt and Young fell to the ground.

The defense attorney faced more problems, this time from Young's mother after her son was convicted on all four murder counts.

"I called the mother and told her the verdict was in, but she took forever to get down to the court and the verdict had been issued already when she arrived," Wolfbrandt said. "The bailiffs were clearing the court and preparing to take Terrell away when she arrived. The bailiffs didn't want to let her in, but I insisted she be allowed.

"When I explained the verdict and that Terrell would now enter the penalty phase and could be sentenced to death, she took a swing at me."

Wolfbrandt decided against filing charges against her saying "she was just an upset mom," but she later was charged with battery on one of the bailiffs.

Wolfbrandt said while Young's mother was attacking him in court, two guards were taking Young back to jail when another bailiff was called out an alert code. One of the two guards with Young left to assist in the call.

The defense attorney said the remaining guard uncuffed one of Young's hands so the prisoner could change into his prison garb, and suddenly Young "clocked him, sending the guard to the ground where he continued to pound his head."

Wolfbrandt said other guards broke up the fight and detained Young.

Prosecutors contend Young went to the victims' home with Donte Johnson and Sikia Smith. They said that after tying up the victims, Johnson, Young and Smith ransacked the house, never finding the money and drugs Johnson believed would be there.

A jury sentenced Johnson to death for the killings in May. He had previously been convicted by a jury and sentenced to death row by a three-judge panel for the murders, but the U.S. Supreme Court subsequently ruled that only juries can levy the death penalty in such cases. That ruling resulted in Johnson's new penalty hearing.

Smith was also convicted for his role in the killings and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.