Man pleads not guilty to murder charge
The driver involved in March’s fatal crash in Boulder City pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and reckless driving.
Joshua Buckingham, 27, is facing these two felony charges after the sedan he was driving struck a pickup, killing its driver, 58-year-old Randy Reiner of Las Vegas. Buckingham was originally facing charges in Boulder City Justice Court, but in July he was indicted by a Clark County grand jury.
He was present at his Aug. 1 arraignment and with his attorney, Adam Solinger of Michael Lee Becker’s office, invoked his right to a speedy trial.
Judge Douglas W. Herndon approved the request. The trial will occur within 60 days.
Additionally, Buckingham’s bail was raised to $150,000 from $5,000 and he was given two weeks to pay it.
His next hearing is a status check at 9:30 a.m. today, Aug. 8, in Department 21. Herndon waived Buckingham’s presence at the hearing, as he lives on the East Coast.
If found guilty of murder, Buckingham faces life imprisonment in state prison with the possibility of parole or a 25-year sentence with the possibility of parole. Parole eligibility for either sentence would start after he served 10 years. For reckless driving, he could face another one to six years in state prison and a fine.
According to the indictment, Buckingham was traveling 145 mph in a residential area between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on a school day. According to other media reports, Buckingham said he was driving 130 mph and admitted to taking prescription drugs before leaving a casino and heading south.
After the crash, Buckingham was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries at a hospital and then taken to Clark County Detention Center. The Clark County coroner’s office identified Reiner, who died from multiple blunt force trauma. He was unrestrained at the time of the crash and pronounced dead at the scene.
Buckingham Minute Order by Boulder City Review on Scribd
Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.
