State Supreme Court hears Lobato murder case appeal

Attorneys for the woman convicted of killing and mutilating a homeless man argued before the Nevada Supreme Court today to throw out her most recent conviction or grant her a new trial.

Jonell Thomas told the three-member panel of the court in Las Vegas that Kirstin Lobato should have her conviction thrown out because a detective who testified at her most recent trial essentially told the jury that Lobato was a liar.

“This case is a travesty,” she said.

Lobato was convicted of murdering and mutilating Duran Baily, a homeless man. She was granted a new trial and was retried and convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2006.

The Supreme Court held today’s session at the Moot Courtroom at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Supreme Court has been hearing oral arguments at the university since 2005 as a way to allow law students to ask questions and learn about the judicial system.