Courts

Judge Orders Consolidation Of Sheriff-Related Cases

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COURT News:

Judge Francis J. Mathew has granted an unopposed motion to consolidate two ongoing First Judicial Court cases involving Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero. The order was filed Oct. 23 in Court.

The first case was filed against Los Alamos County Council by Lucero Aug. 29 asking the Court for a writ of mandamus directing the Council to fulfill its statutory responsibility to fund the Office of the Sheriff adequately for him to perform what he believes are his statutory duties. It also asks the Court to restrain the Council from taking any further actions contrary to the law establishing Read More

Dustin Nelson Sentenced For Probation Violation

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COURT News:

Dustin D. Nelson, 28, of Los Alamos was sentenced to a year in the Los Alamos Detention Center Oct. 16 after he admitted to violating his probation by failing to report to his probation officer as required.

As part of his sentence, Nelson must pay a $750 fine on the DWI charge and perform 96 hours of community service. He received an unsatisfactory discharge from probation.

First Judicial District Judge T. Glenn Ellington had granted Nelson conditional release in July on charges of possession of a controlled substance and third offense driving under the influence. Nelson’s Read More

Heinrich Statement On Special Counsel Indictments

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 30, 2017) – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the indictments of former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates and former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleading guilty to making false statements to the FBI:

“President Trump’s campaign chairman and a top advisor have been indicted for conspiracy against the United States, and another senior advisor has pled guilty to false statements to the FBI about coordinating with Read More

Balderas: $18.5 Million Presbyterian Settlement

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New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas

From the Office of Attorney General Hector Balderas:

  • Balderas’ recovery exceeds the audit amount identified by nearly $4 million

ALBUQUERQUE – This afternoon, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced he has reached an $18.5 million settlement with Presbyterian Healthcare regarding the failure to pay Medicaid premium taxes by the corporation.

The settlement exceeds the amount identified, $14.6 million, in the recently released Examination Resources audit by nearly four million dollars. The $18.5 million dollar recovery only Read More

Montano Preliminary Hearing Continued

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Stephen Montano
 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

A preliminary hearing for Stephen Montano, 22, of Grants was continued Friday in Los Alamos Magistrate Court after he declined to sign a plea agreement offered by Deputy District Attorney Kent Wahlquist.

Montano is one of two men involved in an Aug. 25 incident in which an attempt was made to run down Los Alamos Police Cpl. Robert Larsen subsequent to a shoplifting incident at Smith’s Marketplace. Montano was charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, shoplifting and conspiracy for the purpose Read More

Tyson Collins Released to Washington Residence Pending District Court Hearings

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By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com

A 24-year-old Washington state resident, Tyson Collins, walked away from Los Alamos Magistrate Court Friday morning after waiving his preliminary hearing and being bound over to First Judicial District Court.

Despite appeals from Deputy District Attorney Kent Wahlquist during an Oct. 16 dangerousness hearing, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommers agreed to release Collins Friday on conditions of pre-trial probation that include requiring him to prove that he has no Internet connection at his Centralia, Wash. apartment and Read More

FBI: Las Cruces Felon Sentenced To 63 Months For Unlawfully Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

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FBI News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― James S. Sedillo, 40, of Las Cruces, was sentenced Oct. 24 in Federal Court to 63 months in prison for violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. Sedillo will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
 
Sedillo was arrested in August 2016, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition Oct. 24, 2015, in Dona Ana County. 
 
According to the indictment, Sedillo was prohibited from possessing firearms or
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Morrow And Atencio Sentenced Under Plea Deals

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COURT News:

Under the terms of a plea agreement, Mark Morrow, 37, of Los Alamos pleaded guilty Oct. 13 in Los Alamos Magistrate Court to possession of drug paraphernalia.

Morrow was given a deferred sentence of 364 days, placed on supervised probation for a year and ordered to pay a $50 fine. He also was originally charged with possession of marijuana but that charge was dropped under the terms of the plea agreement. He was originally charged after being detained during Operation Spring Cleaning, a drug sting conducted March 20 by the Los Alamos Police Department, after he allegedly admitted to Read More

Judge Issues Bench Warrant For Hazel Bucholz

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COURT News:

Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados issued a bench warrant Friday for Hazel Bucholz, 18, of Jemez after she failed to appear in Court for a preliminary hearing.

Bucholz was arrested June 20 and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of a drug paraphernalia after Los Alamos Police Cpl. Jemuel Montoya was dispatched to a report of a juvenile driver that was under the influence of drugs. Following a traffic stop, the driver was placed under arrest and other occupants were asked to get out so that the vehicle could be returned to its owner.

Montoya’s Read More

Magistrate Judge Pat Casados To Seek Reelection

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Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

 

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com

Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados has announced her intention to seek reelection to her position next year. Saying she has enjoyed serving the County of Los Alamos, Casados said she is ready to continue serving for a fifth term.

“I want to stay active and I think it’s very important to keep rural and small courts on a par with the larger courts,” she said.

A familiar face at the State Legislature where she has worked on behalf of the 60-member

Read More