Man accused in 1998 slayings to request self-representation

Tuesday, July 19, 2005 | 9:41 a.m.

A 24-year-old man who wants to represent himself at his retrial in the execution-style slaying of four young men in August 1998 will make his request in person on Wednesday.

Terrell Young had refused to be taken from jail to court last week, prompting District Judge Nancy Saitta to hold a video hearing Monday, in which he told the judge, "You heard a lie, someone is lying to you."

"I object to this kangaroo court that's going on," Young said to the video cameras at the Clark County Detention Center. "I have a right to a public trial and defend myself like everyone else."

Saitta prevented Young from saying much more and scheduled him to be taken to court Wednesday morning with other inmates. The judge said she expected Young to respect the court, the attorneys, bailiffs, corrections officers and fellow inmates before, during and after his transport and time in court.

Saitta said if Young caused any problems there would be an unspecified price to pay.

In Young's motion to represent himself he alleges his attorneys, Karen Connolly and Patricia Erickson, are "afraid of Judge Nancy" and as a result are ineffective.

Neither Connolly nor prosecutors Robert Daskas and David Stanton would comment on Young's request to represent himself.

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 .