Results

Murder Charge Reduced

Defendant was charged with murder with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit robbery, first degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon, and robbery with use of a deadly weapon. Defendant was facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s vigorous advocacy, the defendant was able to plead guilty to one count of accessory and received probation. If probation is successfully completed, the charge will be reduced to a gross misdemeanor.

Time Served

Defendant was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), Distribution of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), Possession of a Controlled Substance With Intent to Distribute (Methamphetamine), and Aiding and Abetting. She accepted a guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine) and was facing a mandatory minimum federal guidelines sentence of 10 years. Due to Ms. Connolly’s efforts and advocacy, the judge departed from the guidelines and imposed a sentence of time served.

Dismissal of All Charges

Defendant was charged with Sexual Assault with a Minor Under 14 Years of Age, First Degree Kidnapping of a Minor, and Lewdness with a Child Under the Age of 14. Ms. Connolly obtained a complete dismissal of all charges.

Murder Charge Dismissed

Defendant was facing a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, if convicted of the charges of first degree kidnapping and murder. Ms. Connolly secured a plea to one count of voluntary manslaughter with a deadly weapon and a sentence of a minimum of 8 years in prison.

Woman gets prison in Las Vegas model’s killing

 

Charges Reduced

Defendant who has several domestic violence convictions was charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation. Ms. Connolly successfully negotiated the charge down to a first offense misdemeanor domestic violence with counseling and community service.

Charges Reduced

Defendant charged with a felony battery constituting domestic violence – strangulation, victim 60 years of age or older and battery constituting domestic violence. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s advocacy, charges were reduced to a simple battery.

Negotiated Guilty Plea

The defendant was charged with first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and other charges. He was facing a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. A guilty plea was negotiated. Client pled guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon with a stipulated sentence of 5-12 years, to run concurrent with a federal sentence.

Death Sentence Avoided

The defendant was charged with 3 counts of first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon as well as other charges. He was facing the death penalty. He was convicted by a jury of 3 counts of first degree murder. Prior to his penalty hearing where the prosecution would argue for a death sentence, the case was negotiated. It was agreed that the defendant would accept a sentence of life with the possibility of parole on each count. The defendant thereby avoided a potential death sentence.

Charges Reduced

Defendant was charged with DUI. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s advocacy, the charges were ultimately reduced to driving in a careless manner.

Reduced Sentence

Defendant pled guilty to federal drug trafficking offense and was facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s efforts, the judge sentenced her to 36 months.

Negotiated Guilty Plea

The defendant pled guilty to a serious federal drug offense. The government requested that the judge impose a sentence of 108 months in prison as did the United States Department of Parole and Probation. The judge imposed a sentence of 36 months.

Treatment Negotiated

Defendant violated probation and was facing years in prison. Ms. Connolly secured her release to a treatment program.

Reduced Charges

Client was charged with accessory to attempted murder and racketeering. He was facing a potential sentence of life in prison. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s advocacy, the charges were reduced to attempted racketeering which carried a sentence of 3-8 years.

Charges Dismissed

Defendant charged with domestic battery. The case was ultimately dismissed as a result of Ms. Connolly’s advocacy.

Treatment Negotiated

Juvenile was arrested for child sex abuse. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s efforts on his behalf, no petition was ever filed and instead the juvenile received treatment.

Case Dismissed

Client was charged with domestic violence. The case was ultimately dismissed.

Plea Deal Reached in Double Murder

The defendant was charged with 2 counts of first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon. He was facing the rest of his life in prison on both counts with no chance of parole. On the eve of trial, a plea deal to the significantly reduced one count of second degree murder with use of a deadly weapon was secured for Defendant.

Charges Dismissed

Defendant was charged with domestic violence. The charges were ultimately dismissed.

Sentence Reduced

The defendant was charged and convicted in federal court with sex trafficking. The government requested a 30 year sentence. Ms. Connolly secured a lesser sentence of 13 years.

Plea Negotiated

Client was charged with attempted sexual assault, open and gross lewdness, first degree kidnapping, and battery to commit sexual assault which carry a life sentence upon conviction. As a result of Ms. Connolly’s advocacy, a plea was negotiated resulting in client pleading guilty to the lesser charge of coercion. He was sentenced to probation.

Life Sentence Reduced to 8 Years

The defendant was charged with a slew of crimes including First Degree Murder with use of a deadly weapon. He was facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. A deal was reached which could result in his release after serving only eight years in prison.

Career ending felonies reduced to Misdemeanors

Defendant was charged with 4 felony counts of Child Abuse and Neglect, and 2 felony/gross misdemeanor counts of Attempting, Preventing of Dissuading a Witness or Victim from Reporting a Crime or Commencing Prosecution. The case was negotiated down to two minor misdemeanors.

Guilty Plea Reversed

Karen Connolly represented the defendant on post-conviction relief after the district court denied his request to withdraw his guilty plea to two counts of first degree murder. On appeal, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed the district court’s ruling. The defendant is now scheduled to proceed to trial.

View the Order

Las Vegas illusionist arrested for child porn may ask to take back guilty plea

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News2LV) – Las Vegas illusionist Jan Rouven may ask a federal judge to take back his guilty plea on child pornography charges.

Rouven, who has a new attorney, was set to be sentenced in federal court on Friday. Attorney Karen Connolly filed paperwork to have the sentencing continued to June 30.

The FBI arrested Rouven last March on suspicion of felony child pornography crimes. Prosecutors alleged Rouven, using the online name “Lars45,” shared thousands of pornographic images on a peer-to-peer file sharing program.

Two days after the start of his trial in federal court, Rouven accepted a plea agreement and admitted to possessing, receiving, and distributing child pornography.

Attorney Karen Connolly confirmed that she may ask the court to vacate Rouven’s guilty plea, during a phone call with News 3.

Rouven faces up to 30 years in prison.

The performer has been in federal custody since his arrest.

He was the star of “The New Illusions,” a live stage show at the Tropicana.

Article by: Craig Fiegener

https://news3lv.com/news/local/las-vegas-illusionist-arrested-for-child-porn-may-ask-to-take-back-guilty-plea

Murder Confession Thrown Out

The defendant was charged with First Degree Murder. He gave a videotaped confession to the police. Karen A. Connolly successfully argued that his constitutional rights had been violated and the confession was thrown out.

Charges Reduced

Defendant charged with DUI. The charges were ultimately reduced to reckless driving.

Reduced Charges

Defendant was charged with felonies of Grand Larceny and 3 counts of burglary. Ms. Connolly secured a plea deal to a reduced gross misdemeanor – attempt theft.

Charges Reduced

Defendant was charged in federal court with racketeering. The charges were ultimately reduced to conspiracy.

Murder Conviction Reversed

The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife. He received a sentence of 40 years to life in prison. He unsuccesfully appealed his conviction to the Nevada Supreme Court, it was denied. Ms. Connolly represented him on post-conviction relief. She successfully proved that her client’s constitutional rights had been violated; that he had received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial. As a result, the conviction was reversed.

View the Court Order
View the LVRJ Article
View the KSL.com Article

Convictions Reversed: Felony Case

A jury convicted the defendant of 25 felonies including multiple robberies and burglaries with use of a deadly weapon. Karen A. Connolly was his appellate lawyer. She argued to the Nevada Supreme Court that the defendant’s Miranda rights had been violated and that his multiple convictions should be thrown out. The Nevada Supreme Court agreed, the convictions were reversed and the sentence was vacated.

View LVRJ Article

View Court Opinion

Reduced Murder Sentence

The defendant was charged with having committed two separate murders with use of a deadly weapon. In the first case, all charges were dismissed. In the second murder case, the State was seeking the death penalty. Defendant plead guilty to the significantly reduced charge of second-degree murder. The defendant who was facing the death penalty may now reclaim his freedom after serving only 10 years in prison.

Multiple Convictions Reversed

After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of 8 counts of burglary while in possession of a firearm, 12 counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon, and 1 count of coercion. Ms. Connolly successfully argued on direct appeal that the defendant’s constitutional rights had been violated. The Nevada Supreme Court agreed and reversed all convictions.

Death Sentence Avoided

After a jury trial, the defendant was convicted of First Degree Murder. The prosecution tried to convince the jury that he should be sentenced to death. The jury did not impose a death sentence.

Murder Conviction Overturned

After the defendant was convicted of first degree murder and sent to prison for life, Karen A. Connolly took over his case. Ms. Connolly not only got the conviction overturned, she secured the defendant’s release.

To follow the case as documented by the Las Vegas Review Journal, click the links below:

Click here to view the LVRJ Article from June 4, 2008

Click here to view the LVRJ Article from Sept. 1, 2008

Click here to view the LVRJ Article from Oct. 1, 2008

Click here to view the LVRJ Article from Oct. 2, 2008

Click here to view the LVRJ Article from March 7, 2009

Multiple Murder Convictions Reversed

Defendant was convicted in a capital trial of four counts of first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and other offenses. He received multiple sentences of life without the possibility of parole. Thereafter, Ms. Connolly represented him. Both the trial and penalty phase of the trial were plagued by constitutional error. Consequently, the Supreme Court of Nevada concluded that the district court abused its discretion in denying Defendant’s repeated motions for substitution of counsel. Accordingly, they reversed and remanded this case to the district court for appointment of new counsel and for a new trial.

View the Nevada Supreme Court opinion in Young v. State

NOT GUILTY: Drug Trafficking

The defendant went to trial in Federal Court on charges of Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering. The verdict was NOT GUILTY.

NOT CONVICTED: Kidnapping

The defendant was charged with Sexual Assault of a Minor and First Degree Kidnapping and other charges. The defendant was acquitted.

NOT GUILTY: Murder

The defendant went to trial for First Degree Murder. The verdict was NOT GUILTY.