A convicted sex offender will be tried in October on charges he attempted to light the Nevada Supreme Court Building on fire in June to protest a change to sex offender registry laws.
Christopher Hollis, 26, pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree arson before First Judicial District Court Judge Todd Russell on Tuesday.
According to court records, Hollis told investigators he was upset about changes made during the 2007 Legislative session in the sex offender tier system
He allegedly said he wanted to blow up the Supreme Court and hurt people in the government.
He also allegedly called Reno radio station 104.5 recently and demanded they record him as he ranted about the government, said Department of Public Safety spokesman Daniel Burns.
The June 22 fire outside the building caused minor damage. Police say an anti-government slogan was also found scrawled in black spray paint nearby.
Legislative complex officers discovered the scene the morning after the fire had extinguished itself.
Surveillance at the complex allegedly shows Hollis walking to and from the area, but there were no cameras that caught the actual act.
He was arrested the following day by undercover investigators outside the Bonanza Casino parking lot in Fallon.
Hollis, convicted in 2000 on a charge of second-degree sexual assault in Big Spring, Texas, is being held in the Carson City jail.
Judge Russell reduced his bail from $25,000 to $5,000.
- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.