Courts

DA Serna Announces Vehicular Homicide Conviction

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Paulo Vega-Mendoza
 
NMSP News:
 
SANTA FE ― First Judicial District Attorney Marco Serna announced that late Monday that Paulo Vega-Mendoza pled guilty to one count of 2nd degree homicide by vehicle for a crash April 15, 2017 on Airport Road in Santa Fe.
 
At sentencing, Vega-Mendoza faces up to 15 years in prison and the defendant remains in custody.
 
“Substance abuse and addiction is plaguing all of our New Mexico communities, and while I am focused on treatment and prevention, I will also hold those who endanger our children and families on the road accountable
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State Police Agents Make Arrest In Rita Jaramillo Case

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Arthur James Lovato 

 

NMSP News:  

 

LOS LUNAS ― The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was asked Oct. 1, 2018 to assist the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office with a missing persons case.

Sept. 23, 2018, the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office was called to a trailer house that had been burned belonging to Rita Jaramillo at 6 San Luis Rey Place in the El Cerro Mission District of Los Lunas. Deputies learned from family members that they haven’t heard from Rita Jaramillo since Sept. 20, 2018.

Valencia County detectives had reason to believe there was foul Read More

Probate Judge Vacancy Application Deadline Tuesday

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COUNTY News:
 
Applicants interested in filling the Probate Judge vacancy created by the resignation of Anne Nobile last month are reminded to submit their letter of interest to the County Manager’s office no later than the deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 30.
 
The successful applicant will finish Nobile’s term, which will end Dec. 31, 2022.
 
Interested applicants are asked to submit a one- or two-page letter indicating why they would be interested in serving as Probate Judge. Under State law, any qualified person over the age of 18 who is a resident of Los Alamos County may serve.
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Governor Makes Pair Of Judicial Appointments

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
 
STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Thursday announced appointments for judicial vacancies in the Fifth and Eighth Judicial Districts.
  • Thomas E. Lilley: Fifth Judicial District Court; and
  • Melissa A. Kennelly: Eighth Judicial District Court.
 
Thomas Lilley has over three decades of experience in private practice, primarily representing personal injury cases in Roswell since 1986. He has been a member of the Chaves County Bar Association since 1983 and is an active youth sports coach in his community. Lilley earned
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DA: Santa Fe Artist Gets 36 Years For Heinous Crime

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District Attorney’s Office News:
 
SANTA FE ― First Judicial District Attorney Marco Serna announced Friday that convicted child rapist David Hyams was sentenced to 36 years in prison for the gruesome rape of a young girl while her mother, his girlfriend at the time, was at work.
 
In announcing the sentence, District Attorney Marco Serna said, “I remain focused on combating sexual violence in New Mexico and will continue to hold sexual predators accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our children are among the most vulnerable New Mexicans so we must all work together to keep
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Los Alamos Police Blotter: April 20, 2019

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LAPD News:

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

LEROY ANTHONY MONTOYA

April 20 at 2:39 p.m. / Police arrested Leroy Anthony Montoya, 32, of Questa at Diamond Drive and Canyon Road and charged him with driving with a suspended or revoked license. Read More

Los Alamos Police Blotter: April 13 To April 16, 2019

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LAPD News:

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

TAYLOR ROSE ORTEGA

April 13 at 3:39 p.m. / Police arrested Taylor Rose Ortega, 18, of Los Alamos near Rose Street and Central Avenue and charged her with careless driving, failure to maintain traffic lane, operating a vehicle under the influence of a drug and driving with an open container of alcohol.

 

BRIDGID MARTINEZ

April 16 at 12:45 p.m. / Police arrested Brigid Martinez, Read More

FBI: Albuquerque Man Faces Harboring Fugitive Charge

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FBI News:
 
Ernie Thomas Ortiz, 45, of Albuquerque, has been charged in a federal complaint with Harboring a Fugitive for allegedly being the driver of a vehicle in which Jeyden Bailey Barnhill was found last weekend.
 
Ortiz also faces federal charges of Aggravated Identity Theft and Possession of Methamphetamine.
 
Ortiz and Barnhill, 24, were apprehended by the FBI with the assistance of the Albuquerque Police Department on Saturday during a traffic stop.
 
Barnhill, who was wanted on a federal arrest warrant for allegedly absconding from pre-trial release, allegedly
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Council Tentatively Approves Municipal Court Budget

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Municipal Court Judge Elizabeth Allen, left, and Court Administrator Juanita McNiel present the Municipal Court Judge’s budget Monday night. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

Los Alamos County Council unanimously voted to tentatively approve the $589,322 budget for the Municipal Court during the budget hearing Monday night.

Municipal Judge Elizabeth Allen highlighted the following items in her presentation:

  • Maintain a flat budget from previous years –but transition the community service coordinator from an independent contractor to a .50 FTE in order
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Council Tentatively Approves Probate Judge Budget

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COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County Council unanimously voted to tentatively approve the $5,906 budget for the Probate Court Monday evening during the first night of the annual budget hearings in Council Chambers.

County Clerk Naomi Maestas and Deputy Clerk Adriana Ortiz presented the Probate Court budget.

Highlights include:

  • Probate Court handled 41 probate cases in FY2018 and 22 docketed probate cases to date in FY2019.
  • In February 2018, the Probate Judge attended the annual Judicial Education Center Professional Development Conference for New Mexico Probate Court Judges and Staff.
  • Probate
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