Nevada High Court Orders New Trial in Murder Case

Back to Southern Nevada News
Posted: 4:46 PM Mar 15, 2010 Nevada High Court Orders New Trial in Murder Case The Nevada Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted in 2005 in the fatal shooting of a man and the wounding of his girlfriend outside a North Las Vegas convenience store. Reporter: Associated Press Email Address: news@kolotv.com

Font Size:

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - The Nevada Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted in 2005 in the fatal shooting of a man and the wounding of his girlfriend outside a North Las Vegas convenience store.

The first trial for Jesus R. Meraz ended in a mistrial. In a second trial he was convicted of second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting death of 20-year-old Jonathan Moza-Daza and wounding of 15-year-old Karla Barbosa.

At the second trial a judge let the prosecution introduce Barbosa's testimony from the first trial after the Clark County district attorney argued Barbosa was thought to have moved to Mexico and was unavailable to testify.

The court ruled Monday admitting the testimony wasn't a harmless error and that evidence at the second trial not including Barbosa's prior testimony may or may not have been enough to support Meraz's conviction.

Meraz is now 33 and is at the state prison in Ely.

Click here to post a comment.