Courts

U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján And Peter Welch Introduce Legislation To Ban Gifts For Supreme Court Justices

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From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Peter Welch (D-VT) led U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in introducing the High Court Gift Ban Act, legislation that would ban Supreme Court justices from receiving gifts valued at over $50 and help strengthen ethical standards of the Supreme Court.

Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) introduced companion legislation in the House.

Under current law, Supreme Court justices Read More

ACLU Files Lawsuit Against APD Over DWI Unit Corruption

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ACLU News:

          • “I lost my business, my home, and my dignity because of APD corruption. It even caused a deep rift in my family that we may never heal from.” –Carlos Smith

ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, Smith & Marjanovic Law, LLC, and The Soto Law Office, LLC filed a lawsuit Tuesday night against the City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Chief of Police Harold Medina, and several other individuals, on behalf of Carlos Smith, who was victimized by the APD DWI Unit’s extortion scheme.

The lawsuit, filed in the Second Judicial District Read More

State’s Public Defender Commission Elects New Chair

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From the Office of New Mexico Public Defender Commission:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Defender Commission has unanimously elected Gina Maestas to serve as chair. The Commission selects the state’s Chief Public Defender and provides guidance in the mission and administration of the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD).

The LOPD employs more than 400 New Mexicans in the service of providing counsel to indigent people charged with crimes in the state’s courts. The independent state agency most recently received a $77.1 million budget to operate 13 offices across the state Read More

U.S. Attorney’s Office District Of New Mexico And FBI Announce Criminal Charges In Fruitland Carjacking

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man was charged by indictment for a carjacking incident in 2022 in Fruitland, N.M.

Myles Cordelle Dan Padilla, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge and will remain in custody pending trial, which is set for Nov. 12, 2024.

According to the indictment, on April 10, 2022, Padilla took a motor vehicle from John Doe by force. During the incident, Padilla discharged a firearm. Padilla is prohibited by federal law from handling or possessing firearms or ammunition due to his previous felony convictions, which include Read More

NMSP To Launch Statewide Warrant Round-Up Operations

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NMSP:

The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) is set to conduct warrant round-up operations statewide. This operation is a proactive measure in attempts to apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants.

The New Mexico State Police is encouraging those individuals with outstanding warrants to address these matters voluntarily. By taking the opportunity to resolve the warrants, individuals can get ahead of an unexpected visit from New Mexico State Police Officers.

New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said, “Our goal is to conduct proactive warrant round-up operations statewide in Read More

Robinson: County Jails Have A Role In Criminal Justice Reform

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By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Many people who break the law need drug treatment. That’s pretty common knowledge, but the state Corrections Department has no treatment program. Now, battered by a new state law and a lawsuit, the department will drag itself into the 21st century. Meanwhile, it’s sending inmates needing treatment back to county facilities.

That’s just one expense of many for county detention facilities.

Last November I wrote that crime discussions during the legislative session “must look at all the moving parts of the criminal justice system, Read More

FBI: U.S. Attorney Secures 11 Year Prison Sentence For Man Convicted Of Assault Of Incapacitated Minor

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting an unconscious 16-year-old girl and photographing the abuse.

According to court documents, on May 26, 2022, Willard Dedios, 60, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, sexually assaulted the minor victim, who was intoxicated, at his home in Dulce, New Mexico. After the victim lost consciousness, Dedios sexually assaulted her and took explicit photographs of the abuse. The victim briefly regained consciousness during the assault but was unable to stop it before passing out Read More

FBI: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentence For Dulce Man

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to two years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, July 2, 2022, Amadius Archuleta, then 21-years-old, had sex with 14-year-old Jane Doe in an abandoned house on the Taos Pueblo. The investigation determined that Archuleta communicated with Jane Doe on Instagram, arranged to meet with her, provided her with alcohol and marijuana, and then had sex with her. Law enforcement determined that Archuleta knew about the age gap between Read More

Yazzie/Martinez Plaintiffs Seek Court Order For State To Craft Expert-Led Transformative Education Plan

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NMCLP News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, (NMLPC) said New Mexico’s at-risk students are still not receiving a Constitutionally sufficient education and the state has failed to develop a remedy plan, charged the Yazzie/Martinez plaintiffs in a scathing motion filed this week with the First Judicial District Court.

The joint Yazzie/Martinez motion urges the court to order the state to launch a collaborative process, led by the Legislative Education Study Committee (LESC), to develop a comprehensive action plan to address the systemic failures outlined in the 2018 court Read More

NMSP: Capitan Man Killed In Home Invasion

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NMSP News:

CAPITAN — New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Investigations Bureau agents were called to 104 Aspen, Trailer 18, July 28, 2024, in Capitan to investigate a homicide.

Agents learned at around 4:30 a.m. that day that a vehicle occupied by Daniel Hernandez, 29, Gabriel Thyberg, 41, Samuel Rey Duran, 30, all of Roswell and Benisha Shanta, 33, of Capitan pulled up to 104 Aspen, Trailer 18 in Capitan.

Shanta got out of the vehicle and knocked on the door for several minutes.

When the residents opened the door, Hernandez, Thyberg and Duran got out of the vehicle wearing masks, bandanas and t-shirts Read More