Courts

Supreme Court Affirms Conviction Of Albuquerque Man For Murder When He Was 17-Years-Old

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NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court Monday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Ruben Benavidez for fatally shooting his mother’s boyfriend in 2022 in Albuquerque.

In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Julie J. Vargas, the Court rejected Benavidez’s arguments there was insufficient evidence that he had the necessary criminal intent for willful and deliberate murder. Benavidez contended that he did not deliberately kill Cedric Guzman but instead he was provoked. 

The Court set aside one of Benavidez’s two convictions for evidence tampering as a violation of constitutional Read More

McQuiston: Why ‘State Minimum’ Coverage Is Rarely Enough

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By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos Since 1963

A lot of people buy car insurance the same way they buy a phone charger. They want it to work. They want it to be legal. And they don’t want to overpay.

That’s exactly why “state minimum” coverage exists. It’s the lowest amount of insurance you’re allowed to carry in your state and still drive legally.

But here’s the problem:

  • State minimum coverage is designed to meet the law — not to protect your life.
    • And those are two very different goals.
  • What “state minimum” really means
    • State minimum coverage is the bare minimum liability
Read More

LAPD: Search Warrant Yields Stolen Property, Explosive Devices Linked To Cases In Los Alamos County, Jemez Springs, Jemez Pueblo

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LAPD News:

On Feb. 19, 2026, officers with the Los Alamos Police Department (LAPD) executed a court-authorized search warrant at a residence in Jemez Springs connected to the Feb. 17 arrests of three burglary suspects.

The warrant is part of an ongoing investigation into multiple burglaries across Los Alamos County, including storage unit break-ins.

Working alongside the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service Rangers, officers searched two vehicles, a recreational vehicle, and the residence. Investigators recovered approximately $10,000 Read More

NM State Bar Foundation Celebrates 35th Anniversary

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NMSB News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico State Bar Foundation (“the Bar Foundation”) announces its 35th anniversary, marking 35 years of advancing access to justice and supporting the legal community and public across New Mexico.

Established on Feb. 20, 1991, by the governing body of the State Bar of New Mexico (“the State Bar”), the Board of Bar Commissioners, the New Mexico State Bar Foundation serves as the charitable arm of the State Bar. The Foundation supports the legal community through educational opportunities and serves the public through multiple legal helplines and free workshops, Read More

Jury Finds Angel Fire Mayor Knowingly Violated Procurement Code In State Ethics Commission Enforcement Action

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New Mexico State Ethics Commission News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A Colfax County jury returned a verdict in favor of the New Mexico State Ethics Commission in State Ethics Commission ex rel. Village of Angel Fire v. Lindsey, et al., finding that Angel Fire Mayor Barry Lindsey knowingly violated the New Mexico Procurement Code in connection with a $1 million contract awarded to Carristo Creative Consulting LLC.

The verdict was returned on Feb. 17, 2026, following a jury trial in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Raton, N.M., before the Honorable Steven Romero. The jury found that Mayor Lindsey knowingly Read More

Doctors Thank Rep. Christine Chandler For Leadership In Sponsoring, Championing HB 99 Medical Malpractice Reform

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By Robert McAtee, MD
Española

By Elena McAtee, MD
Los Alamos

We would like to express our gratitude to Representative Christine Chandler for her leadership in sponsoring and championing HB 99, a long-needed step toward meaningful medical malpractice reform in New Mexico.

Throughout this process, Representative Chandler listened carefully to her constituents, thoroughly researched this complex issue, and then worked diligently to advance thoughtful
solutions. Passing this legislation required navigating significant resistance and complex competing interests, making its success Read More

FBI: Albuquerque Woman Pleads Guilty Mid-Trial To Methamphetamine Trafficking

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — After one day of trial testimony, an Albuquerque woman pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, May 18, 2023, the FBI Violent Gang Task Force executed a search warrant at the northeast Albuquerque residence of Nora Baca, 67. During the search, agents located approximately three pounds of methamphetamine in the bedroom of Baca’s housemate and codefendant.

Sept. 10, 2024, following an investigation into a significant intergang drug trafficking conspiracy involving both incarcerated and non-incarcerated Read More

Bill lifting Statute Of Limitations For Some Child Sex Crimes Passes New Mexico Senate

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Bill Sponsor Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma

By NATHAN BROWN
The Santa Fe New Mexican

A bill that would remove the statute of limitations for some of the most serious acts of child sex abuse passed the state Senate overwhelmingly Friday, with some recent events providing fodder for supporters’ arguments.

“The last time we looked at this law, we didn’t know what was happening at Zorro Ranch,” said Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma, who sponsored the bill, referring to the southern Santa Fe County property once owned by Jeffrey Epstein. “The last time we looked at this law, we didn’t know what we know now.” Read More

Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard Calls On Law Enforcement To Investigate Allegation Involving Burials On Land Surrounding Epstein’s Zorro Ranch

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Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard

LAND OFFICE News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard sent a letter Tuesday calling on the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Mexico Department of Justice to ensure a thorough criminal investigation into allegations that two girls were buried in the hills surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County.

Epstein’s company, Cypress Inc., held two leases for state land in the vicinity of the ranch that were issued in 1993, but Commissioner Garcia Richard terminated them in Read More

NMELC Files Lawsuit Against Doña Ana County Commission

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The Doña Ana County Commission held a hearing on funding for Project Jupiter on Sep.19, 2025. Photo by Leah Romero/Source NM

NMELC News:

LAS CRUCES — On Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, New Mexico Environmental Law Center filed a second lawsuit against the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners in the Third Judicial District Court, for violating the New Mexico Open Meetings Act. 

On Sep. 19, 2025, during a regular open meeting and public hearing by the Doña

Ana County Board of Commissioners (Board), the Board moved into closed session without proper notice and reasonable specificity for the closed session, Read More