- Judge Carli Kierny ordered that Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis’ must wear an electronic monitor under house arrest if he is able to make $750K bail
- Davis pleaded not guilty in November to first-degree murder and has been held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas
- The 60-year-old Davis was arrested on September 29, 2023, and charged with open murder for the 1996 death of rapper Tupac
A Nevada judge has set bail at $750,000 for former Los Angeles street gang leader charged with orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas.
Judge Carli Kierny ordered Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis’ must wear an electronic monitor while under house arrest if he is able to make bail as he waits for his June trial.
The 60-year-old Davis was arrested on September 29, 2023, and charged with open murder and use of a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement. Davis pleaded not guilty in November and has been held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
On Tuesday, he appeared in court with special public defender Charles Cano at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Davis’ court-appointed lawyers argued Davis is in remission for cancer and because of his ailing health, he will not flee to avoid his upcoming trial.
Defense lawyers told the Associated Press they were confident their client could post bail. They had requested that bail not exceed $100,000.
Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis appeared in court with his special defender Charles Cano for a hearing at the Regional Justice Center on Tuesday in Las Vegas
Tapuc Shakur died on September 13, 1996, nearly a week after he was gunned down
Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996
Attorney Robert Arroyo said during Tuesday’s hearing that Davis was not a danger to the community.
He said his client had been earning an honest living and ‘if he was going to run he would have did it’ years ago,’ ABC News reported.
‘If Duane is so dangerous, if this case is so overwhelming, his guilt is so overwhelming … why did [authorities] wait 15 years to make the arrest?’ Arroyo said.
But, prosecutors asked the judge for either no bail or a high bail and alleged Davis ‘presents a very, very high danger to the community.’ In particular, they argued, he is a danger to witnesses who might testify against him at trial.
Prosecutors highlighted the risk using one an exchange between Davis and his son where the pair used the term ‘green light,’ which they claim is a code word for ‘kill.’
But, Davis’ lawyer explained the messages were taken out of context and it had to do with the safety of his family not about putting a hit on those who are testifying against him.
Davis pleaded not guilty in November to first-degree murder and has been held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center (pictured) in Las Vegas
The judge explained some of the factors that are considered before a decision for bail such as how long Davis has lived in his Las Vegas community and his relationship with his family.
The Clark County District Attorney Steven Wolfson called the judge’s decision ‘conscientious and thorough’ in reaching it though he said that he still believed Davis was ‘a danger to the community and to some of the witnesses.’
Wolfson said, ‘my prosecutors argued just that, and I believe the judge agreed with our arguments today.’
The suspect’s next status conference is February 20.
