Judge expected to set bail for teens accused of fatal Rancho High beating

A Las Vegas judge is expected to set bail in the coming days for three teens charged with murder in the fatal beating of a Rancho High School student.

Court-appointed attorneys for Gianni Robinson, 17, Damien Hernandez, 17, and Treavion Randolph, 16, spent nearly 45 minutes on Thursday arguing for release conditions for their clients, while prosecutors asked for a $250,000 bail and electronic monitoring. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Nadia Wood said she intends to issue a written order with her ruling by next week.

Robinson, Hernandez, Randolph and 16-year-old Dontral Beaver are facing charges of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit battery resulting in substantial bodily harm in connection with the death of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis.

Beaver’s attorney, Gabriel Grasso, did not present a bail argument during Thursday’s hearing, and said he was waiting to review more discovery in the case.

Lewis was attacked by a group of up to 10 teenagers on Nov. 1 near Rancho High School’s campus. The fatal beating was captured on a video that a top police official called “void of humanity.” It showed the teenagers stomping, kicking and punching Lewis until he fell unconscious. Lewis died of his injuries six days later.

A total of nine teenagers have been arrested in connection with Lewis’ death, but cases for five of the defendants remain in the juvenile court system. The cases of Robinson, Hernandez, Randolph and Beaver were automatically sent to the adult court system because of their ages, while the other five juveniles are expected to face certification hearings, at which a judge determines if they will be tried as adults.

Defense attorneys argued on Thursday that Lewis instigated the fight by pushing Robinson and then punching a younger teenager. Prosecutors said they did not dispute that Lewis instigated the fight, but they argued that the group of teens who attacked him did not act in self-defense.

The judge said she has reviewed multiple videos and photos of the fight.

“I would agree that I don’t think what I saw in the video constituted self-defense,” Wood said.

She said that analyzing each teenager’s alleged actions in the fight will help determine “that individual’s dangerousness to the community going forward.”

Attorneys Robert Draskovich, who represents Robinson, and Karen Connolly, who represents Hernandez, argued that their clients were not one of the teenagers accused of violently stomping Lewis on the head.

Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani argued that the teenagers unnecessarily continued to strike Lewis after he fell to the ground in the fetal position.

“We can all argue all day as to which blow caused his death, but they all contributed in some way,” Giordani said.

The attorneys also argued that Robinson and Hernandez were present when Lewis threw the first punch. One of Lewis’ friends told police he had a knife during the fight, the attorneys said, but prosecutors disputed Thursday whether the knife was pulled when Lewis was attacked.

Randolph’s public defender, Daniel Martinez, said his client saw the fight start from a distance, and was the last one to join the group attacking Lewis. Martinez said it was unclear if Randolph successfully hit Lewis, and that he also did not strike Lewis in the head.

“When we talk about different levels of culpability, it is certainly my position that my client is absolutely one of the least culpable ones in this entire incident,” Martinez said.

The attorneys pushed for their clients to be released from custody, arguing that they are not flight risks and bail is not required to ensure future court appearances.

“Continuing to incarcerate my client is just going to compound the tragedy that already exists,” Connolly said.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.