Judge Gives Naso a No

Marin County Superior Court Judge Andrew Sweet denied  accused serial killer Joseph Naso's request to postpone his Sept. 6  preliminary hearing.
    Naso, 77, of Reno, is charged with killing four Northern  California women between 1977 and 1994.
    This morning, Naso asked that the hearing be continued to allow  him more time to find an advisory attorney to assist him, although he said he  still wants to represent himself in the trial.
    "I decided I do need legal counsel in this case," Naso said.
    The Marin County District Attorney's Office objected to continuing  the hearing, arguing that the generalized statements Naso made in his request  did not constitute good cause to postpone it.
    Sweet agreed with the prosecution and denied the motion, then set  Sept. 2 for a status update on Naso's request for an attorney and to confirm  the Sept. 6 hearing date.
    Deputy District Attorney Rosemary Slote said the prosecution  intends to call 49 witnesses, and estimated that the hearing would take 10  court days.
    Naso said he has contacted a half-dozen attorneys about assisting  him on an advisory level.
    One of them, Douglas Horngrad, said after the hearing he would  possibly be interested in representing Naso, but not as his advisory counsel. 
    "I'm open to the possibility. Even a lawyer who presses his own  suits has an idiot as a dry cleaner," Horngrad said.
    Naso is charged with the murders of Roxene Roggasch, 18, of  Oakland; Carmen Colon, 22, an East Bay resident; and Pamela Parsons, 38, and  Tracey Tayofa, 31, both of Yuba County.
    Roggasch's body was found near Fairfax in Marin County in 1977 and  Colon's was found near Port Costa in Contra Costa County in 1978.