LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada Supreme Court has denied a request to dismiss a murder charge filed against a driver who caused a deadly crash as prosecutors and public defenders clash over the new practice.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the court on Wednesday denied the Clark County public defender's emergency motion, but said the underlying legal question remains unsettled.
The case is one of at least seven murder charges filed by Clark County prosecutors against motorists who caused deadly crashes since 2017 as they try to send a message about the dangers of driving drunk or high on drugs.
Defense attorneys contend the law doesn't allow for a murder charge in those cases.
Clark County District Attorney Steven Wolfson says charging a driver whose reckless behavior causes death with second-degree murder isn't against the law.