Hearing in airport mechanic's slaying delayed until August

Staff Reports

Summer may be over before a pretrial hearing is held for Karen Bodden, who is accused of killing her husband.

On Wednesday, her attorney, James Wilson Jr., told Justice of the Peace Jim EnEarl that it would be the end of August before investigatory work was complete in the case.

Wilson asked that a preliminary hearing be set for Aug. 31, but EnEarl denied the request, saying the hearing could take three days and he would be out of town that week.

EnEarl set an Aug. 1 hearing date in the case and told Wilson that he would set a date for a preliminary hearing then.

Bodden has been in custody in Douglas County jail since Sept. 11, 2006, the day after Robin Bodden's body was found in the desert above Johnson Lane.

Bodden is being held in lieu of $1 million bail in connection with her husband's death.

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An Indian Hills man facing a trafficking charge waived a preliminary hearing on Wednesday and will appear in Douglas County District Court.

Casey Smith, 18, plans on entering a guilty plea to a lesser drug charge in connection with a March drug raid.

Smith was arrested May 30 after reportedly taking prescription medicine stolen from an acquaintance's grandmother. He was on house arrest awaiting resolution on the drug charges at the time.

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A 47-year-old Reno man plans on pleading guilty to conspiracy to violate the controlled substances act after waiving his preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

Stefan Julian Putnam was arrested for driving Roland Roth to Carson Valley three times to allegedly sell heroin.

Putnam told Justice of the Peace Jim EnEarl that he felt he wouldn't be able to defend himself against the three charges he originally faced.

"Defending myself against the three original felonies would be fruitless," he said.

Under the agreement reached with prosecutors, Putnam may be eligible for drug court.

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The Gardnerville resident who allegedly set another man's leg on fire during a party in the Pine Nuts was released from house arrest on Wednesday.

Trent Clanton, 22, faces charges of mayhem, battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm, and battery causing substantial bodily harm, all felonies.

A hearing for Clanton was continued until June 27 by Justice of the Peace Jim EnEarl. Attorney Tod Young argued that Clanton had to get back to work to earn money for restitution.

"OK, all the terms and conditions remain in place and the ankle bracelet comes off and that's it," EnEarl said.