Cheatham v. State

OPINION

By the Court,

Springer, J.:

Kenneth Loranzo Cheatham, Jean McKinnis, Clinton Long, and Melvin Howard were accused of robbing and murdering a drug dealer named Melvin Douglas Arritt in McKinnis’s hotel room at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. McKinnis, Long and Howard all pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Cheatham proceeded to trial and was convicted by a jury of second degree murder.

Cheatham’s principal claims of error are the following: (1) that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay statements by McKinnis; (2) that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay…