Courts

LANL Employees File Complaint Against Former Supervisor

by

Tony Stanford

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post

Attorney John Day filed a complaint in First District Court in Santa Fe this afternoon against Los Alamos National Security, LLC, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Anthony “Tony” R. Stanford for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent hiring, supervision and retention.

Day, of EGOLF, FERLIC & DAY, LLC, filed the complaint on behalf of his clients Erika and William Gorman of Los Alamos who worked for Stanford at LANL.

Attorney John Day

“This was a horrifying situation, Erika

Read More

Los Alamos Police Commander Faces Poaching Charges; Jailer Faces Battery with Deadly Weapon

by

Los Alamos Police Commander Preston Ballew

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post

A citation was filed Nov. 22 in Alamogordo Magistrate Court against Los Alamos Police Commander Preston Ballew.

Ballew, 36, was charged with two counts of unlawful hunting or fishing (killing elk) and one count of vehicle travel under habitat protection act (trespassing.) Ofc. Jason Kline issued Ballew the citation Oct. 7.

Ballew is commander of the Los Alamos Bomb Squad. The Alamogordo Magistrate Court clerk said this morning that an arraignment for Ballew is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Alamogordo.

In a second Read More

Help With The Hard Stuff: Managing Student Loans Part 3

by

Help With the Hard Stuff:

Managing Student Loans

Part 3 (of 5) –“Work-out and Default Options between Federal and Private Loans Are Critically Important”
By Gini Nelson, JD, MA

I emphasized in my last column the importance of understanding the different legal options federal lenders and private lenders have in responding to a student loan borrower’s inability to pay. Simply put:

WORK OUT OPTIONS – Private lenders and their servicers are not required to offer forbearances or deferments. Further, flexible repayment has never been a feature offered by private lenders and the Consumer Financial Read More

Battle Over Teacher Evaluations Heads To Court

by

Los Alamos Federation of School Employees (LAFSE) President Ellen Mills briefed teachers Sept. 25 on the statewide teachers union plans to battle new teacher evaluation system. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
 
New Mexico President Stephanie Ly of the American Federation of Teachers addressed Los Alamos teachers at a Sept. 25 meeting. Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
 
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post

Things are heating up in the battle between teachers unions and New Mexico Secretary of Education-Designate Hanna Skandera. A writ of mandamus was issued Read More

Ex-Enron Executive Indicted on Bankruptcy Charges

by

FBI News:

HOUSTON—A federal grand jury has returned a 24-count indictment against Jeffrey Adam Shankman with bankruptcy fraud and concealment of assets, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

The indictment was returned today. Shankman is expected to turn himself in to federal authorities and make an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

According to the indictment, Shankman engaged in a scheme to conceal assets to defraud creditors and the trustee who was appointed to collect and dispose of all Shankman’s assets in his bankruptcy estate.

A Read More

Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados Will Seek 4th Term

by

Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados in her courtroom at the Justice Center. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

 

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post

Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados told the Los Alamos Daily Post late Thursday that she has decided to seek re-election to a 4th four-year term.

The election for Los Alamos Magistrate Judge is November 2014 but candidates must file in March.

“After attending the recent judges conference, I came back with renewed enthusiasm … I’ve made a lot of progress and I want to see the projects I’ve started be

Read More

Former Los Alamos Urologist Ordered to Leave Town Moves to Nambe Area

by

Pavel Mourachov

Staff Report

Former Los Alamos Urologist Pavel Mourachov reached a plea deal last June and was ordered by the court to leave town.

Magistrate Judge Pat Casados said Thursday that Mourachov has moved to the Nambe area, remains on probation and continues to wear an electronic monitoring device. 

Mourachov, 44, was arrested in May and charged with two counts of aggravated assault against a household member with a deadly weapon, harassment and extreme cruelty to animals. He was released six days later, at which time Casados ordered him to wear a monitoring bracelet. He was

Read More

Woman on the Lam Has Surfaced

by

Irene Quintana

Staff Report

The woman who has been on the lam for more than a week turned herself in Thursday.

“She walked up to our window (inside the Justice Center) and police officers were here to arrest her,” Magistrate Judge Pat Casados said. “She had her first appearance in court and was released on a $5,000 bond pending a pre-trial.”

Los Alamos Police Detectives had been searching for Quintana, 49, of Chamita since Sept. 17. 

She was wanted on a warrant with two felony charges for distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy. Quintana is Read More

Help With The Hard Stuff: Managing Student Loans Part 2

by

Help With The Hard Stuff: Managing Student Loans

Part 2 (of 5) – “What are the Kinds of Loans Students (and their Co-Signers) Can Get?”

By Gini Nelson, JD, MA

I referred in my last column to “the new normal” – how much more difficult life is coming to be for many because of the massive changes to the global and our own economy, and more – but I think calling it “the new reality” is more accurate. Many Los Alamos readers are not directly affected, perhaps because already well-along and well-established in careers, but even these readers might notice and wonder what is in store for their children and the children Read More