A major decision that will affect how prosecutors pursue deadly DUI cases.
The Nevada Supreme Court ruling Monday, murder charges can’t be brought forward in deadly DUI cases.
Jeremy Chen reports.
DEADLY D-U-I CASES.THANKS FOR JOINING US....LIVE ON T-V...APPLE T-V..
OR...AT 6.THE NEVADA SUPREME COURT....RULING...THAT MURDER CHARGES CAN'T BEBROUGHT FORWARD......IN DEADLY D-U-I CASES.IT COMES....AS CLARK COUNTY D-A STEVEWOLFSON HAS CHARGED....SEVERAL D-U-I DRIVERS.....WITH MURDER.13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER....JEREMY CHEN IS LIVE.....OUTSIDE THE REGIONAL JUSTICECENTER... AND...HAS REACTION FROM THE D-A...AND...AN ATTORNEY....APPLAUDING THE DECISION.THIS DECISION COMINGUNANIMOUSLY FROM THE STATESUPREME COURT-WOULD AFFECTSEVERAL DEADLY D-U-I CASES.D-A WOLFSON SAYING HE'SDISAPPOINTED WHILE THE OPPOSINGATTORNEY I SPOKE WITH SAYING ITWAS THE CORRECT DECISION.THE POWER OF PROSECUTORS ACROSSNEVADA GETTING SOME LIMITS.THE NEVADA SUPREME COURTDECIDING MONDAY TO PROHIBITTHEM FROM PURSUINGMURDER CHARGES IN DEADLY D-U-ICASES." I WAS DISAPPOINTED.I WAS HOPING WE WOULD HAVE WONTHIS IMPORTANT LEGAL ISSUE, BUTWE'RE GOING TO STILL KEEPFIGHTING." CLARK COUNTY D-ASTEVE WOLFSON SAYING WHILE HE'SFORCED TO MAKE CHANGES TO FIVECURRENT DEADLY D-U-I CASESINVOLVING MURDER CHARGES- HE'SNOT DROPPING THEM.HE ACCEPTS THE COURT'S RULINGAND SAYS THE MURDER CHARGESHAVING BOTH ALCOHOL AND DRUGSIN THEIR SYSTEM." WHERE THERE IS THAT KIND OFBEHAVIOR WHICH SEPARATES SOMEFROM OTHERS, THAT THERE SHOULDBE INCREASED CONSEQUENCES." THECOURT'S RULING-WAS MADE DURINGARGUMENTS OVER THE D-U-I CASEOF RONALD LEAVELL.HE WAS APPEALING THESECOND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE INA 2017 FATAL CRASH.CHIEF JUSTICE KRISTINAPICKERING AND THE SIX OTHERJUSTICES SAY: " ALTHOUGH MALICELEGISLATURE HAS PREEMPTED SUCHA CHARGE FOR CASES OFNON-INTENTIONAL VEHICULARHOMICIDETHE STATE MAY NOTCHARGE A DEFENDANT WITHSECOND-DEGREE MURDER FOR ADEATH RESULTING FROM DRIVINGUNDER THE INFLUENCE." LEAVELL'SATTORNEY, DAVID WESTBROOK, SAYSTHE MURDER CHARGES SHOULD HAVENEVER BEEN FILED IN THE FIRSTPLACE." PEOPLE DON'T SET OUT WHENTHEY GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF ACAR TO KILL SOMEBODY, ANDTHAT'S FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCEBETWEEN A MURDER CASE AND A DUICASE." WESTBROOK SAYS THEUPGRADED CHARGES DON'T DETERBEHAVIOR- AND AGREES WITH THECOURT THAT THE LEGISLATURE ISTHE ONE THAT MUST CREATE LAWSTHAT SAY MURDER CHARGES CAN BEFILED." THE LEGISLATURE IS FOR MAKINGLAWS.THE COURTS AND THE DISTRICTATTORNEY ARE FOR ENFORCING ANDINTERPRETING LAWS.THAT IS OUR SYSTEM." WOLFSONSAYS HE'S LOOKING TO DO THAT." OF COURSE, ONE OF OUR OPTIONSIS GOING TO OUR NEVADALEGISLATURE AND SEE IF WE CANEITHER CHANGE THE CURRENT LAWOR CREATE A NEW LAW."WOLFSON IS MAKING IT CLEAR-NONE OF THE D-U-I CASES THATARE AFFECTED WILL BE DROPPED BYHIS OFFICE AS THEY RUN THEIRLEGALCOURSE.COMING UP AT SIX- WE'LL HEARFROM A MOTHER OF A D-U-I VICTIMABOUT THE COURT'S RULING.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWS.THOUSANDS OF IMMIGRANTS....IN NEVADA.....
A major decision that will affect how prosecutors pursue deadly DUI cases. The Nevada Supreme Court ruling Monday, murder charges..