Friday, April 10, 2009 | 7:17 p.m.
CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of Taiwan Allen, sentenced to life in prison without parole for the slaying of his girlfriend in Las Vegas.
Allen, now 34 and confined to the High Desert State Prison in Clark County, had filed a petition that his attorney was not competent in representing him at trial in December 2003.
His petition argued that his trial attorney failed to introduce evidence that the 9-year-old daughter of the victim was incompetent to testify. She had witnessed the shooting of her mother, Yashoma Clemons, who was Allen’s girlfriend. Clemons had told Allen she was returning to her ex-husband.
The Supreme Court said the record shows the child was “thoroughly questioned” by defense counsel during the justice court preliminary hearing on her memory and truthfulness.
The lawyer also questioned the girl about hallucinations and medications she was taking. And the defense attorney argued she was not competent to testify.
The Supreme Court said the child testified at a competency hearing she knew the difference between a lie and the truth and she was able to understand and respond to questioning by defense lawyers.
After a district court jury reached a guilty verdict, Allen lunged at Deputy District Attorney David Stanton and began punching him in the back of the head until he was pulled off by deputies.
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