A judge in Reno has refused to grant a new trial for a man sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old college student nearly eight years ago.
Washoe District Judge Scott Freeman said Thursday that James Biela's lawyers failed to prove he was denied a fair trial when he was convicted of killing Brianna Denison and sexually assaulting two other women near the University of Nevada, Reno campus.
Among other things, Biela's lawyers argued the case should have been moved out of Reno because of unprecedented pre-trial publicity.
Judge Freeman says there's no evidence Biela failed to receive effective representation during trial or subsequent appeal.
He says there was overwhelming evidence for the jury to find Biela guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
__________________________________
A lawyer for a Reno man convicted of raping and killing a 19-year-old college student in 2008 is attacking the DNA evidence in a last-ditch effort to get James Biela off death row.
The Nevada Supreme Court earlier rejected Biela's appeal in the murder of Brianna Denison and sexual assault of two other women near the University of Nevada's Reno campus.
His new lawyer, Edward Reed, argued in Washoe County District Court Thursday that his previous public defenders didn't adequately represent him.
The lawyer also said a flood of pretrial publicity made it impossible for him to get a fair trial and that the odds of crime scene DNA belonging to Biela that was presented to the jury has been inflated.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
