Robert Telles faces law license suspension, had history of complaints
Murder suspect Robert Telles may lose his law license, following his arrest in the slaying of longtime Las Vegas investigative journalist Jeff German.
State Bar attorney Daniel Hooge said Friday that his office will request the Nevada Supreme Court suspend Telles’ license for misconduct. The Democratic elected official was arrested Wednesday evening.
“We’re working with the (Clark County district attorney) to try to get this moving,” Hooge said.
The bar has received three complaints about Telles since he took office as the county’s public administrator in January 2019.
The bar cautioned Telles after a July 2019 complaint that he dropped a client too close to a hearing. A second complaint the following February was dismissed.
Hooge said he could not comment on the details of the third complaint filed in August 2020 because Telles entered a diversion program. The process removes an allegation from an attorney’s record if they complete certain requirements.
Authorities allege Telles, 45, stabbed German to death outside of the reporter’s Las Vegas home on Friday morning. The Review-Journal reporter had published this year a series of articles investigating Telles’ workplace conduct.
Although he is jailed without bond, Telles still held his public office as of Thursday. His position pays about $120,000 in annual salary, according to data from Transparent Nevada.
Officials at the county said Thursday they were reviewing their options “under the law” regarding Telles. His term is set to end in January, following his loss in the Democratic primary in June.
One of his office’s employees said she last saw Telles at work on Tuesday morning. He left about 30 minutes later.
“He wasn’t here long, he went straight into his office and shut the door,” estate coordinator Aleisha Goodwin said.
County spokesman Erik Pappa said Thursday that Telles’ access to county property had been suspended. His office building is closed indefinitely.
On Friday afternoon, the county’s website no longer showed two pages describing Telles’ position and experience. Instead, they both redirected to “Page Not Found” errors.
County spokesman Dan Kulin confirmed that the pages were taken down Thursday.
“We felt it was not appropriate to have up there right now,” he said.
Telles also lost his position on a state board.
Gov. Steve Sisolak removed him from the state’s Indigent Defense Services board Friday, spokeswoman Meghin Delaney said. Sisolak appointed Telles to the board in late 2019.
Telles could also be ousted from his vice chair position at the bar’s probate and trust section.
A discussion about Telles’ arrest, followed by a vote for his removal, will be held at a special election meeting next month, Reno attorney and board chair Julia Gold confirmed via text message.
“While we understand he has not been convicted, we are sure that his legal ordeal will make it impossible to continue to serve on the committee,” she wrote.
Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Contact Arthur Kane at akane@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0286. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter. Staff writers Briana Erickson and Ricardo Torres contributed to this story.
