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Nevada Supreme Court Takes Up 'Keffe D' Appeal as Late Attorney's Filing Moves Forward
The Nevada Supreme Court has accepted Duane 'Keffe D' Davis' appeal of his murder conviction in the killing of Tupac Shakur, a filing made by defense attorney Michael Sanft a week before Sanft died at his Las Vegas home. The court says it will grant Davis extra time to find new counsel once the State Bar confirms Sanft's death.
The Nevada Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who was convicted in the murder of Tupac Shakur, moving the long-running case into a new appellate phase.
The appeal was filed by Davis' defense attorney, Michael Sanft, roughly one week before Sanft died last Thursday at his home in Las Vegas, according to sources familiar with the matter. The circumstances of his death have not been publicly confirmed; information from the coroner's office was still pending.
The high court said it had not yet been formally notified of Sanft's death by the State Bar of Nevada. Once that notification arrives, the court plans to give Davis additional time to secure new counsel and submit the formal paperwork required to advance the appeal.
The development leaves Davis' legal team in transition at a critical moment. An appeal to the state's highest court typically requires detailed legal briefs and strict deadlines, and the court's willingness to accommodate a replacement attorney could shape how quickly the case proceeds.
Davis was convicted in connection with the 1996 killing of Shakur, one of the most closely watched prosecutions in Las Vegas history. The case has drawn sustained national attention for decades, and the appeal now places it before the Nevada Supreme Court.
For now, the court is awaiting word from the State Bar before setting a schedule for new counsel to step in and file the necessary documents.