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Not Guilty Plea In Killing Of San Jose Hells Angels Chief

RENO, Nev. (CBS/AP) -- A judge in Reno, Nev., has entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the man accused of killing the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels during a casino shootout in September.

Washoe District Judge Connie Steinheimer entered the plea for Ernesto Gonzalez, after Gonzalez's public defender advised him to stand silent during his arraignment Thursday in a tightly guarded courtroom.

Police say Gonzalez is a member of the rival Vagos motorcycle gang. He is accused of shooting Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew four times in the back during the brawl at a casino in Sparks, Nev.

The judge set a trial for Jan. 17. But he said that might change after public defenders complained they still don't have access to the transcript from the grand jury that indicted Gonzalez and two others Nov. 9.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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