Courts

New UNM-LA Advisory Board Members Sworn In Monday 

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Charles McCullough shakes hands with Municipal Judge Elizabeth Allen after being sworn in Monday to his position on the UNM-LA Advisory Board. Photo by Sarah Jimenez/UNM-LA

David Hanson raises his right hand as he is sworn into his position on the UNM-LA Advisory Board by Municipal Judge Elizabeth Allen via Zoom. To the left of Hanson on the Zoom screen is Alissa Grissom also sworn in Monday. Photo by Sarah Jimenez/UNM-LA

UNM-LA News:

Recently elected UNM-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Advisory Board members Alissa Grissom, Charles McCullough and David Hanson were sworn into their advisory board positions Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Affirms Financing Order For Utility’s Abandonment Of Coal-Fired Power Plant

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Post file photo

NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court Monday rejected constitutional challenges to the Energy Transition Act (ETA), which requires electric utilities to move to carbon-free power generation.

In a unanimous opinion, the court affirmed a Public Regulation Commission financing order for the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s (PNM) abandonment of the San Juan Generating Station.

The ETA, which was enacted in 2019, provides a financing framework for utilities to stop using coal-fired power plants. 

Citizens for Fair Rates and the Environment (CFRE) and New Read More

Groups Celebrate New Mexico Supreme Court Ruling Energy Transition Act Constitutional

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SIERRA CLUB News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court Monday rejected New Energy Economy’s challenges to the constitutionality of the Energy Transition Act (ETA) and upheld the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) decision relating to the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station.

These rulings end months of delays in sending transition funds to communities and issuing bonds that will reduce customer costs.

The court rejected all of the remaining challenges to the constitutionality of the ETA and concluded that the state legislature properly exercised its authority to set energy Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Rules Arrest By Volunteer Reserve Deputy Was Constitutionally Unreasonable

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Post file photo

NM Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE – A volunteer reserve deputy’s arrest of a suspected drunken driver violated New Mexico constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, the state Supreme Court ruled today.

The arrest also violated a state a law authorizing only commissioned, salaried peace officers to make arrests for misdemeanor motor vehicle-related offenses.

The Court unanimously reversed a divided decision of the state Court of Appeals that would have allowed prosecutors to use evidence obtained from the unauthorized arrest of Somer D. Wright Read More

Bernalillo County Courts Implementing New Procedures For Criminal Cases In Response To IT Disruptions

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NMSC News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Courts in Bernalillo County are implementing new procedures to ensure that hearings in criminal cases move expeditiously for defendants in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center while the county resolves IT system disruptions from malware.

The Second Judicial District Court and Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court collaborated with the county, Law Offices of the Public Defender and the District Attorney’s Office on the procedures to ensure that hearings can continue until the county’s network is back in operation. 

Particularly during the pandemic, Read More

Former New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Employee Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud, Identity Theft, Money Laundering

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – George Martinez, 45, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in federal court today to 42 counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and six counts of money laundering.

A federal grand jury indicted Martinez March 12, 2021.

According to the indictment and other court records, from May 18, 2011, through July 16, 2018, Martinez allegedly used his position as the Unit Supervisor/Bureau Chief of the Questionable Refund Unit at the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department to fraudulently alter tax refunds and direct them to bank accounts that he controlled.

Martinez Read More

New Mexico Courts Implementing Program To Prevent Evictions, Improve Housing Stability During Pandemic

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Courtesy image

COURT News:

SANTA FE – A new court-based program will assist New Mexicans facing the possible loss of housing during the pandemic and provide landlords with an alternative to evicting tenants unable to pay their rent.

The Eviction Prevention and Diversion Program will be piloted in the Ninth Judicial District of Curry and Roosevelt counties starting Feb. 1, and will be expanded statewide in March.

“Courts will provide trained facilitators in eviction cases to help landlords and tenants resolve disputes over rental payments,” Chief Justice Michael Vigil said today in Read More

FBI: Crownpoint Man Gets Eight Years For Child Abuse

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – Emerson Pinto, 58, of Crownpoint and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced Dec. 29 in federal court to eight years and one month in prison based on convictions for two counts of abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country.

Pinto pleaded guilty Aug. 11 and admitted that between Sept. 1, 2009 and Oct. 31, 2009, he knowingly engaged in unlawful sexual contact with two young victims, both of whom were under the age of 12 at the time of the offenses.

Pinto admitted to touching the girls for sexual gratification during a visit to the victims’ home on the Navajo Read More

NMSP Investigate Homicide In San Miguel County

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Murder suspect Joaquin Sanchez

NMSP News:

Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, at around 10:21 p.m., the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Uniform Bureau in Las Vegas responded to 8 El Gasnate in Ribera in San Miguel County in reference to a shooting victim.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located a male subject who was identified as Joshua Vigil, 17, of Ribera inside the residence deceased with what appeared to be a gunshot injury.

NMSP Investigations Bureau was called to investigate the incident. Agents learned the owner of the residence, Joaquin Sanchez, 18, of Ribera was at his residence having a New Read More

Op-Ed: On Housing Support For New Mexico Families

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By Justice C. Shannon Bacon, New Mexico Supreme Court;
Tom Prettyman, New Mexico Legal Aid;
Gene Vance, General Counsel, Apartment Association of New Mexico, Vance Chavez & Associates;
Karen J. Meyers, Attorney at Law

The pandemic has created difficulties for many New Mexico residents. It made new struggles and exacerbated others, including struggles with housing. Lost wages have meant many of our neighbors fell behind on housing and utility payments.

Many fell so far behind they are at risk of being evicted with few options for new housing.

Fortunately, multiple efforts have been put Read More