Attorney hopes state Supreme Court will reverse drive-by conviction

Cremen filed an appeal with the high court in February, seeking to reverse the conviction of former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer Ron Mortensen.

Mortensen was convicted in the December 1996 shooting death of Daniel Mendoza.

Mortensen has blamed the shooting death on a fellow officer at the time, Christopher Brady, who was driving the truck used in the shooting.

Cremen argues that critical evidence in the case - such as the clothes Brady wore that night and truck he was driving - were not properly preserved.

The two off-duty officers went to Mendoza's neighborhood to, as Brady later described it, "harass dopers and bangers."

Cremen said the state Supreme Court has not set a date to hear the appeal.

archive