Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Hearing waived in cabdriver's slaying
By GLENN PUIT
REVIEW-JOURNAL
James Scholl
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A man accused of burning a cabdriver to death waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday in a strategic move by his defense attorney.
Clark County Deputy Special Public Defender Alzora Jackson, who is representing slaying suspect James Scholl, said she had little to gain from pursuing the scheduled preliminary hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court early Monday.
If the hearing had gone forward as scheduled, witnesses would have detailed the criminal case against Scholl. Instead, Scholl's case heads immediately to District Court for arraignment.
Jackson said she decided to waive the preliminary hearing because she already has a good idea of what the witnesses in the case against Scholl are going to say. Also, by waiving the hearing, Scholl has, for the time being at least, avoided pretrial publicity that would have come from witness testimony.
"I didn't think there would be any benefit to my client," Jackson said.
Scholl, 33, faces murder, robbery and other charges in the Aug. 24 death of Pairoj Chitprasart, 51. Authorities said Chitprasart, a local cabdriver, was killed after a customer in his cab doused him with gasoline, then set him ablaze during a robbery in downtown Las Vegas.
According to court records, an acquaintance of Scholl's said after the attack that Scholl showed up at his downtown apartment and said: "Did you watch the news? The guy wouldn't give me the money, so I burned him!' "
An arson dog also detected accelerants on Scholl's clothing, according to police reports.
Outside of court Monday, friends of Chitprasart said they were mortified at the particularly heinous way in which the cabby was slain.
"Death row? That's too easy," said family friend Donna Smith. "I would burn him just like he did. Can you imagine the pain?"
Chitprasart also was described as a kind man who published a newspaper for the Thai community in the Las Vegas Valley.
District Attorney David Roger, who is personally prosecuting the case, said prosecutors will meet in the coming weeks to decide whether to pursue the death penalty against Scholl.
