Attorney conflict is cited

Wednesday, March 23, 2005 | 11:25 a.m.

The Las Vegas man who this weekend was charged with murder and sexual assault based on yearsold DNA samples has an unusual conflict of interest with the public defender's office.

Chief Deputy Public Defender Curtis Brown said this morning his office could not represent 27-year-old Jerry B. Johnson because the office previously represented a man accused of shooting Johnson in the back last year.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle agreed that a conflict existed and told Johnson, who was in a wheelchair, that he could either be represented by the special public defender's office, hire a private attorney or the court could appoint him an attorney.

Johnson said his family was trying to hire a private attorney and Oesterle scheduled a hearing for March 28.

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