RENO, Nev. (AP) — The Reno judge handling a death row inmate's latest appeal has scheduled two weeks of evidentiary hearings next month to consider whether there's grounds to grant James Biela a new trial in the 2008 killing of 19-year-old Brianna Denison and rape of two others.
Washoe District Judge Scott Freeman granted a request by Biela's new lawyer Thursday to take a deposition from Biela's ex-girlfriend to try to establish inconsistencies in her previous testimony. The judge said he wants all witnesses ready to testify beginning July 11.
Biela's lawyer, Edward Reed, claims Biela didn't get a fair trial partly because his public defenders didn't adequately represent him.
He also argues a change of venue should have been granted because the extraordinary pre-trial publicity made it impossible to seat an impartial jury after police dubbed Biela a "serial rapist."
