Courts

AG Balderas On Closing Of White Peak Trial

by

Attorney General Hector Balderas
 
AG News:
 
TAOS ― Thursday, Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that after several weeks, arguments in the White Peak trial before the Honorable Judge Sarah Backus in Taos District Court came to a close.
 
During the course of trial, the Office of the Attorney General called numerous hunters, land owners and rural New Mexicans to testify as to their right to public access. The parties now await the judge’s decision.
 
“We vigorously defended New Mexicans’ right to access thirty thousand acres of public land held in
Read More

Marion Loope To Remain In Custody Until Trial

by

Marion Loope arriving Wednesday afternoon in First Judicial District. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

In a dangerousness hearing Wednesday afternoon in First Judicial District Court, Judge T. Glenn Ellington said he found by clear and convincing evidence that based on Loope’s history as well as the current allegations there were no conditions upon which the Court could release her pretrial.

“She poses a threat to the community, particularly first responders and healthcare workers and also to her immediate Read More

Sheriff’s Attorney Reacts Sharply To County Brief

by

Attorney Blair Dunn is representing Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero in his lawsuit filed Aug. 29 against the Los Alamos County Council. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

 

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero’s attorney Blair Dunn responded sharply Wednesday to a brief filed by Los Alamos County Attorney Alvin Leaphart in First Judicial District Court in the lawsuit filed Aug. 29 by Lucero against the Los Alamos County Council. 

Lucero’s lawsuit asked the Court for a writ of mandamus directing Read More

Santa Fe Magistrate Court Offers Safe Surrender

by

COURT News:
 
SANTA FE ― The Santa Fe Magistrate Court will offer a Safe Surrender opportunity to anyone who has an outstanding warrant with the court.
 
“This operation will offer those that have an outstanding warrant the opportunity to voluntarily surrender themselves, in a safe environment, and under favorable consideration,” Court Manager Michelle Portillo said.
 
Anyone who appears on traffic warrants can expect to have their cases fully resolved or be set for a future court date. For those appearing on warrants for other case types, such as DWI and other misdemeanors,
Read More

Women Charged With Shoplifting Set For Court Friday

by

Angelic Gallegos

 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
 

Three woman arrested March 26 by Los Alamos police and charged with shoplifting are slated for preliminary hearings Friday before Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados.

Bridgid Martinez

Angelic Gallegos, 43, of Pagosa Springs, Colo., Cynthia Lopez, 45, of Cordova and Bridgid Martinez, 36, of San Juan Pueblo were allegedly observed by Smith’s Marketplace loss prevention personnel placing various items in reusable bags.

Gallegos also was charged with concealing her identity after she gave Read More

Trenton EngelKing Arrested On Multiple Charges

by

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

A 20-year-old man is in custody pending two preliminary hearings Friday in Los Alamos Magistrate Court following his April 18 arrest by Los Alamos police on multiple charges.

Trenton EngelKing has been charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm by a felon, escaping or attempting to escape the custody of a police officer and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer (arrest). He also faces a charge of larceny of $3,000 in connection with a 2016 Magistrate Court Read More

State Supreme Reverses Indictment Dismissal In Taos Robbery Prosecution

by

NMSC News:
 
SANTA FE ― The New Mexico Supreme Court issued an opinion Monday holding that the Legislature has not given state courts the authority to dismiss otherwise valid indictments because a grand jury considered evidence inadmissible at trial.
 
The Court reversed a district court’s dismissal of charges against Isaac Martinez and Carla Casias for the robbery of Kit Carson Electric Co-op in 2013. The case was ordered back to the Eighth District Court in Taos for further proceedings. The district court had dismissed the indictments because evidence
Read More

Letter To The Editor: Keep Judge Greg Shaffer

by

By FRANK KATZ
Formerly City Attorney
City of Santa Fe
 
I support District Court Judge Greg Shaffer because he has the right experience for the job. Division II is a civil division, meaning that it generally does not handle criminal or domestic relation matters. Judge Shaffer has over 20 years of diverse civil experience, as a litigator at a national law firm, a public servant in New Mexico, and a civil judge.
 
Most recently, Greg was Santa Fe County Attorney for three and one-half years before he became a judge. I know from my own experience that being chief counsel
Read More

Los Alamos Woman Faces Dangerousness Hearing On Two Aggravated Battery Charges

by

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

Two charges of aggravated battery have been filed in Los Alamos Magistrate Court against Marion Loope, 35, of Los Alamos and First Judicial Assistant District Attorney Kent Wahlquist has filed a petition in District Court for her to remain incarcerated pending trial.

According to Court documents file by Los Alamos Police Cpl. Jaime Gonzales, he reported April 15 to a residence on 34th Street in response to a report that a woman had been attacked with a knife by her daughter. Gonzales and Cpl. Jay Eakins met with the victim who Read More

Brenner IPRA Case Against Council Drags On

by

Los Alamos County Councilor Susan O’Leary, left, chats with her attorney Kate Ferlic following Wednesday’s hearing in First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Patrick Brenner, right, listens as his attorney Blair Dunn addresses the Court Wednesday in Santa Fe. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com

A lawsuit filed by former Los Alamos resident Patrick Brenner last June against Los Alamos County Councilors and the County’s Records Custodian under Read More