Courts

Los Alamos Magistrate Court Judge Pat Casados Represents Judiciary During Legislative Session

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Los Alamos Magistrate Court Judge Pat Casados
 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos

Los Alamos Magistrate Court Judge Pat Casados seemed relieved that the legislative session was over as she headed to court Monday morning. She has been spending two to three days a week at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe representing the judiciary and in particular the New Mexico Magistrate Judges Association.

Casados has served on the bench since 2003 and was elected president of the association last September.

“I make sure the Magistrate Court Docket is cleared,” she said. “And I can do things telephonically Read More

FBI: Kirby Cleveland Charged With Murder Of Navajo Nation Tribal Police Officer

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FBI News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― Kirby Cleveland made his initial appearance in federal court this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with murder, announced Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Director Jesse Delmar of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.
 
Cleveland remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, both of which are scheduled for March 22, 2017.
 
The criminal complaint, which was filed on March 14, 2017, charges Cleveland, 32, an enrolled
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Anti-Hazing Bill Advances Past House

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Rep. Monica Youngblood

STATE  News:

SANTA FE – This afternoon, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 427, a bill sponsored by Rep. Monica Youngblood (R-Bernalillo) to prevent hazing in New Mexico’s schools. The House approved the bill by a 56 to 2 vote.

Youngblood’s bill would require every New Mexico educational institution to adopt, post, and enforce a hazing prevention policy. The bill defines what actions are considered hazing and lists the areas that hazing policies need to address to ensure the policies are consistent statewide.

According to recent statistics, forty-eight Read More

Lunch With A Leader Features New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Daniels March 21

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New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Charles W. Daniels
 
LWVLA News:
 
This month’s Lunch with a Leader features Chief Justice Charles Daniels of the New Mexico Supreme Court at 11:45 a.m., March 21 in Mesa Public Library.  
 
Justice Daniels will discuss bail reform in New Mexico — working to improve public safety while protecting individual rights. He was initially appointed to the Supreme Court in October 2007 by recommendation of the nonpartisan Judicial Nominating Commission. He was unopposed in the 2008 primary and general elections and elected to continue in the position.
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Local Police Corporal Files Claim Against Commander

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Los Alamos Police Cpl. Jack Casias files Tort Claim against commander and LAPD. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.xom

 
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
  • Officer Files Claim; Police Union Issues List of Grievances

Los Alamos Police Cpl. Jack Casias has filed a Tort Claim against Cmdr. Preston Ballew and the Los Alamos Police Department.

According to the Tort Claim, obtained Friday by the Los Alamos Daily Post, Casias asserts that Ballew intentionally battered him during an Oct. 7, 2016 meeting of several officers at the LAPD.

The claim, filed Nov. 14, 2016 in the Los Alamos County Read More

Preliminary Hearing For Daniel Merrill March 20

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Daniel Merrill

Staff Report

A 29-year-old Los Alamos man was arrested Feb. 24 at Los Alamos Medical Center on charges of assault on a police officer and battery on a police officer during an incident in the hospital’s emergency room.

According to police incident reports, three LAPD officers responded to a report that Daniel Merrill had allegedly checked himself into the emergency room and was treated by hospital staff who reportedly gave him a prescription to be filled at a pharmacy. At this point, Merrill allegedly became “belligerent and aggressive” toward hospital staff because they would Read More

Garrett Eckhart Heads To Court On Battery Charge

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Garrett Eckhart

Staff Report:

A preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Pat Casados is slated for March 9 for Garrett Eckhart, 35, of Los Alamos on charges of bribery of a witness, batter on a peace officer, and resisting, evading or obstructing a peace officer.

Eckhart was arrested Feb. 10 on a charge of aggravated battery after police responded to an address on Gold Street where they found a victim with injuries to his back and face. The victim was transported to Los Alamos Medical Center for treatment.

The new charges stem from Eckhart’s alleged return to the scene of the aggravated battery Read More

House Approves Bill To Protect Children

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HOUSE REPUBLICAN News:

SANTA FE – On a bipartisan 63 to 1 vote, the House of Representatives approved legislation Monday night sponsored by Rep. Kelly Fajardo (R-Valencia) to protect New Mexico’s children from receiving pornographic images from sexual predators.

House Bill 71 would clarify language in the current statute relating to criminal sexual communication with a child to include all pornographic images. Currently, individuals can only be charged with a crime if they send pornographic pictures of their bodies. Fajardo’s bill would make it a fourth-degree felony to send or provide Read More

Joseph Dimas Is Sentenced In District Court

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Joseph Dimas

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

Judge Mary L. Marlowe Sommers rendered sentenced on former Los Alamos County Transit bus driver Joseph Dimas in First Judicial District Court, Feb. 17, in Santa Fe.

The judge ordered Dimas to register as a sex offender, remain on supervised probation for 10 years and avoid all contact with minors under the age of 16 with the exception of his own children.

Dimas was sentenced after he pled guilty to a charge of child solicitation by electronic communication device (child aged 13 to 16). A second charge of contributing to the delinquency of Read More

FBI: Sunland Park Heroin Trafficking Ring Leader Pleads Guilty To Federal Narcotics Trafficking Charges

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FBI News:

  • Case Prosecuted as Part of HOPE Initiative, Which Seeks to Reduce the Number of Opioid-Related Deaths in New Mexico

 

ALBUQUERQUE – Raymundo Munoz, 69, of Sunland Park pled guilty Wednesday in federal court in Las Cruces to heroin trafficking charges resulting from a DEA-led investigation targeting a heroin trafficking ring operating out of Sunland Park.

 

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Munoz will be sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

The investigation targeted a heroin trafficking organization

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