The Carson City District Attorney’s office is moving to reinstate criminal charges against Ty Robben — including that he tried to solicit a hit man to kill Justice of the Peace John Tatro.
Two cases involving Robben were turned over to the Douglas County DA’s office after Senior District Judge Charles McGee in Reno disqualified the Carson DA’s office from handling them.
But two months after that ruling, McGee, of his own volition, entered an order saying he would reconsider that decision in light of an April opinion by the Nevada Supreme Court effectively reversing the precedent he relied on in disqualifying the DA. While McGee said he still has concerns, he would like to see the issue briefed and would consider reinstating the Carson DA’s office.
But in between his first order and the second one, issued April 15, Douglas DA Mark Jackson dismissed the solicitation-to-commit-murder charge as well as the libel, stalking and harassment charges filed in the first case. He said in the dismissal notices that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Putting Carson City back in charge would allow the office to refile the charges against Robben, including solicitation to commit murder, a Category B felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
In the request for reappointment, Assistant DA Mark Krueger emphasized that the Carson DA’s office “reviews the evidence provided by law enforcement and charges only those crimes in which the Carson City District Attorney’s office believes occurred and can be proven at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Krueger declined to comment on the filing, but the court document states that his office maintains “there has never been a conflict of interest” in the cases against Robben.
Robben, meanwhile, is taking his claims the office is unconstitutionally harassing him, violating his rights and covering up corruption in the Carson judicial system to the federal level. He said he will sue the DA’s office and Krueger in federal court and that he has already been interviewed by the FBI.
Robben’s troubles began when he was terminated from the Department of Taxation. His appeals of the termination were rejected at every level.
He got into legal trouble after an incident in which he said he was trying to serve papers on then-NDOT Director Susan Martinovich on behalf of another fired state worker. He became angered with Tatro after the judge convicted him in that case. His anger escalated, and his conduct resulted in the first batch of charges. He was in jail when he allegedly tried to get another prisoner to connect him with a hit man to murder the judge.
Robben was released from jail after the charges were dropped this month.