Pair who led police on chase to stand trial together

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, June 30, 2005 | 8:48 a.m.

A woman who allegedly shot at police while her fugitive boyfriend led Metro Police on a high-speed chase will stand trial along with the boyfriend despite his objections to that arrangement.

Thirty-one-year-old Kentro Taylor and his 21-year-old girlfriend April Jones have pleaded not guilty to eight counts of attempted murder of a police officer and one count each of conspiracy to commit murder and aiming a gun at an officer.

Taylor said in court Wednesday that if he were to be tried along with his alleged co-conspirator, Jones he would be "guilty by association."

"I'm fighting for my innocence," Taylor said. "They (a jury) are going to find me guilty."

District Judge Lee Gates rejected Taylor and his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kevin Speed's argument for the cases to be severed.

Speed took issue with the fact that Jones' police statement directly implicates Taylor as the driver of the car and says he was involved in an alleged conspiracy to commit the shootings.

Speed argued that by allowing Taylor and Jones to be tried together the trial would ultimately have Speed pointing the finger of guilt at Jones, while Jones' attorney, Brain Bloomfield, would in turn point the guilty finger back at Taylor.

"Allowing them to be tried together will allow the district attorneys to sit back and play marionette masters," Speed said.

Gates rejected the motion saying in the months leading up to the case he remembered either Taylor or Jones had requested they stand trial together.

On May 4 Jones told Gates if she didn't have the same trial date as Taylor she wouldn't come to court.

Gates later granted Jones' wish when a full calendar of cases and questions as to whether Speed would be ready for trial surfaced.

The judge said Wednesday that if Speed or Bloomfield didn't like his ruling they should appeal it.

Speed also asked Gates to prevent television and still photographers from covering the case. He alleged that the media was sensationalizing the case, and that is making it much more difficult for Taylor and Jones to receive a fair trial.

"The media has taken an interest as a romantic slant," Speed said. "It would be impossible to pick a jury that doesn't have some prior knowledge to the case. The slant the media has taken is prosecutorial."

Bloomfield added that in the halls of the Clark County District Court the case is simply referenced as "Bonnie and Clyde" as he agreed with Speed's assessment of the media's influence on the case.

Gates said he would not bar the media from the courtroom.