What Review-Journal court reporter Noble Brigham plans to cover in 2026
In 2026, several major trials are scheduled, a large number of judges will face voters and litigation is expected to continue in appellate cases addressing public records and minors’ abortion access. Here are some of the stories Las Vegas Review-Journal court reporter Noble Brigham plans to follow in the new year.
Tupac murder trial
Thirty years after the September 1996 fatal shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur near the Strip, a man is scheduled to be tried in connection with the murder.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 62, is expected to face a jury on Aug. 10, 2026. He was arrested and indicted in 2023 after speaking publicly about his involvement in the killing. He has since told ABC News he did not write a purported memoir, “Compton Street Legend.”
The book says Davis “tossed” a gun into the backseat of the Cadillac in which he was riding at the time. That weapon was used by a man in the back seat for the shooting, according to the memoir.
His former attorney Carl Arnold said Davis’ own words could not be trusted.
“It’s not so much an issue of being a liar in that we live in a society now of dual personas,” current attorney Robert Draskovich said at an August news conference. “We have public personas. We have personas in reality. We have online personas.”
District Court elections
Unless a person is a criminal, a party in a civil case or an attorney, the odds are high that they know little about the judges who have the power to make decisions affecting their life, liberty and property.
That means the 2026 elections will be daunting for most voters, as all 32 Clark County District Court and 26 Family Court judgeships will be on the ballot.
Of particular interest will be whether the trend of female candidates dominating judicial races continues.
The Review-Journal’s 2025 Judicial Performance Evaluation offers information about each judge based on anonymous feedback from attorneys.
MS-13 trial
Federal prosecutors have linked four men to multiple killings and accused them of being leaders of the MS-13 gang.
Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, David Arturo Perez-Manchame, Joel Vargas-Escobar and Alexander De Jesus Figueroa-Torres are scheduled to go to trial in Las Vegas in March.
It’s a case that’s particularly salient as a national debate rages about immigration. Prosecutors have said the defendants would be subject to removal proceedings were they released from custody.
“This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders — under President Trump’s leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement after Vargas-Escobar’s arrest.
Vargas-Escobar’s attorney, Richard Tanasi, said his client is only directly charged in two murders.
The trial is expected to last three months, according to defense attorney Lisa Rasmussen, who represents Figueroa-Torres.
Traffic cases
The Review-Journal will also be following several high-profile traffic fatality cases from 2025 that are expected to continue into the new year.
Those include the case of Jose Gutierrez, 19, who has been charged with murder in connection with a 12-vehicle crash that claimed three lives; the case of Tyler Johns, 22, who is accused of firing into another vehicle during a road rage confrontation and killing an 11-year-old; and the case of Maximiliano Chavez, 28, who prosecutors allege was driving under the influence when he caused a crash that injured a pregnant woman and killed her baby boy, who was delivered but did not survive.
Appellate cases to watch
Several cases with potentially significant consequences for Nevadans are making their way through the Nevada Supreme Court.
In one, law enforcement and governmental bodies are trying to obtain a ruling from the high court that authorizes them to keep secret records related to an open criminal case or investigation.
They emphasize the importance of “protecting the integrity of criminal cases to ensure that those who commit crimes face appropriate consequences.”
First Amendment experts say the case could have dire consequences, limiting the public’s oversight of law enforcement.
In another case, Planned Parenthood is appealing a judge’s decision not to block a long-dormant Nevada law requiring doctors to notify parents of minors seeking an abortion.
“It is insulting that this law questions the capability of a young person’s maturity and intelligence to make decisions about their own body, life,” a Planned Parenthood spokesperson previously said in a statement. “We remain deeply committed to fighting for the reproductive rights of all Nevadans.”
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.
