Reno judge considers jury rules in teen murder case

RENO -- A judge plans to decide by Friday whether any special steps should be taken to find an impartial jury for the trial of a man charged with kidnapping and killing Brianna Denison.

"It's going to be difficult to do in this case," Washoe District Judge Robert Perry said during a hearing Wednesday. "The reality of this case is there has been a lot of publicity."

James Biela, a former Sparks construction worker, is scheduled for trial in May on charges of murdering Denison, a 19-year-old college coed in 2008 and raping two other young women. He has pleaded not guilty.

The crime spree near the University of Nevada, Reno campus sent tremors through the community for months.

"It is an emotional case, a sensitive case," said public defender Jim Leslie, who filed motions on behalf of Biela seeking deviation from jury-selection rules.

Among other things, defense lawyers want prospective jurors to respond to longer-than-usual questionnaires. They also seek to question jury candidates outside the earshot of other jurors about their opinions on the death penalty and whether Biela is guilty or innocent.

Prosecutors argue such extraordinary measures could add weeks to the trial and not guarantee a fair verdict.

Perry said he won't consider moving the trial to another jurisdiction without first attempting to seat a jury in Washoe County.