Judge will hear Mack’s motion to withdraw plea

RENO -- A judge has set a Jan. 16 hearing in Las Vegas to consider Darren Mack's motion to withdraw his pleas to killing his wife and shooting the judge who was handling their divorce.

The hearing set by Clark County District Judge Douglas Herndon, who is overseeing the case, will be held a day before Mack's scheduled two-day sentencing hearing.

Another hearing is scheduled Monday in Reno to confirm the scheduling plans.

Mack, 46, was charged with stabbing and killing his estranged wife, Charla, in Reno on June 12, 2006. Authorities said he then drove downtown and shot Family Court Judge Chuck Weller through the window of the judge's third-floor chamber. The judge survived.

Mack had pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder, but his trial ended abruptly Nov. 5 when he agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder and to a conditional plea on the other charge.

The plea came as his defense lawyers, Scott Freeman and David Chesnoff, were to begin presenting their case.

Last week, Mack fired his former attorneys and hired William Routsis of the Laub & Laub law firm. On Wednesday, Routsis filed a motion seeking to withdraw Mack's pleas, claiming Mack was confused and in physical distress when he agreed to the deal.