Nevada Attorney General Issues Statement Following U.S. District Court Decision Granting Retrial to Inmate in FBI Agent Murder


January 23, 2015

Carson City – Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt issued a statement in response to a U.S. District Court judge’s January 16 order granting a new trial to Nevada inmate Jose L. Echavarria.

    “Jose Echavarria does not deserve a retrial, and my office has already filed a notice to appeal this order to the Ninth Circuit. The district court’s order is stayed and does not release Echavarria pending appeal.”

      Echavarria was convicted of the 1990 murder of FBI Agent John Bailey and sentenced to death by the Eighth Judicial District Court, State of Nevada. The U.S. District Court’s January 16 order granted Echavarria a new trial based on his allegations of judicial bias.

        The Court ordered that Echavarria either be retried or released from custody. The Nevada Attorney General’s Office filed a notice of appeal on January 20, seeking reversal of the District Court’s order. The Court’s order is stayed pending resolution of the appeal.

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