Courts

Legal Resources For The Elderly Program’s Estate Planning, Probate And Institutional Medicaid Workshop April 9

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New Mexico State Bar News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico State Bar Foundation’s Legal Resources for the Elderly Program will be hosting a free virtual workshop for New Mexico residents at 11 a.m. (MT), April 9 that will be available via video and teleconference (Zoom).

The virtual workshop will cover Powers of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directives, probate, non-probate transfers (Including Transfer on Death Deeds) and Institutional Medicaid. This free virtual workshop is open to New Mexico residents of all ages who would like to learn more about these helpful legal topics for the elderly Read More

Governor Announces Two Judicial Appointments

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STATE News:

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced two additional judicial appointments.

Gov. Lujan Grisham selected Denise Thomas to fill the judicial vacancy at the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, and Timothy Rose for the vacant seat at the Tenth Judicial District Court in Tucumcari. 

The appointments follow the retirement of the Honorable Judge Sylvia LaMar and the Honorable Judge Albert J. Mitchell, Jr. 

Thomas’s legal career spans more than two decades. Most recently, her work has centered on representing clients in family law matters involving divorce, custody, Read More

Governor Appoints New Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge

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From the Office of the Governor:

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced the appointment of Jannette Mondragón to the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court. 

Mondragón’s appointment fills the seat left vacant when the Honorable Judge Rebecca Duffin was appointed as Third Judicial District Court Judge. 

Mondragón is a graduate of New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico School of Law. 

Most recently, Mondragón provided legal representation in child support matters on behalf of the State of New Mexico. Previously, she was a staff attorney for the Border Immigration Read More

New Mexico Courts Launches Improved Website

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New Mexico Courts News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico Courts has launched a new website to provide the public with an improved user experience and a fresh, new look.

The website is nmcourts.gov.

“We really focused on understanding the needs of the public,” said Cassandra Hayne, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Chief Technology Officer. “The new website is more intuitive and makes finding information easier. People often go to our website for specific reasons, and now they should find what they need faster.”

Included on the main homepage are navigation tiles –blocks with images and links –  Read More

DOJ Issues Determinations Protecting Public’s Right To Know

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NMFOG News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Department of Justice (DOJ) issued several determinations late last week following complaints the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (FOG) made to the DOJ concerning violations of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA).

The DOJ notified FOG it sent a letter to the Eastern New Mexico Board (ENMU) of Regents stating the regents violated the Open Meeting Act during their Jan. 17, 2024, meeting by taking a final action to approve a contract renewal for ENMU President/Chancellor James Johnston during a closed executive Read More

Justice Thomson: Supreme Court Program Allows Students To Learn About Judicial Process

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By Justice David K. Thomson
New Mexico Supreme Court

This year is the sixtieth anniversary of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. President John F. Kennedy proposed this legislation in 1963, but he was assassinated before its enactment. The legislation became a priority of his successor, President Lyndon Johnson, who signed it into law one year later.

In 1969, Gov. David Cargo signed House Bill 142 and thereby enacted the New Mexico Human Rights Act. This state law protecting individuals from discrimination is the subject of our Court’s fourth annual “Rule of Law” program. The goal of the program Read More

Governor Appoints Diana Garcia To 2nd Judicial District Court In Albuquerque

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Judge Diana Garcia

STATE News:

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the appointment of Diana Garcia to fill a vacant judicial seat at the Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque.

Garcia’s appointment will fill the vacancy created when Honorable Judge Benjamin Chavez retired in January.  

A 14th generation New Mexican, Garcia is a graduate of New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico School of Law. 

For the past 18 years, Garcia has served New Mexico at the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office. Most recently, she held the position of Supervising Deputy Read More

FBI: Former State Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton And Her Friend Joseph Johnson Charged For Fraud Scheme

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Former Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton

FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A former State Representative and her longtime friend are facing federal charges for long-term scheme to defraud the U.S. government. Sheryl Williams Stapleton, 66, of Albuquerque, and Joseph Johnson, 72, of Chantilly, Virginia, are schedule to appear in federal court for an initial appearance on April 9, 2024.

The indictment alleges that from about July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2020, Stapleton used her position at Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) as Director of the Perkins Project and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Read More

FBI: New York Man Convicted Of Bank Fraud In Santa Fe

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A New York man was convicted by a federal jury after 39 minutes of deliberation of a bank fraud charge related to the brutal assault of his father-in-law.

Prosecutors allege the crime was driven by the defendant, Marc Candelaria, 36, of Wantagh, New York, accruing mounting gambling debts at the time.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early hours of Sept. 14, 2021, an armed and masked intruder entered Candelaria’s father-in-law’s home and forced him to write a check for $23,000 and demanded he leave all other portions of the check blank. Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court: Workers’ Compensation Benefit Cap For Mental Impairments Violates State Constitution

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New Mexico Supreme Court News: 

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s limits on the duration of workers’ compensation benefits for a mental impairment caused by a workplace physical injury are unconstitutional, the state Supreme Court ruled today.

In a unanimous opinion, the Court concluded that Workers’ Compensation Act caps on benefits  for disabilities from mental impairments violated the equal protection clause of the New Mexico Constitution because workers with those impairments were treated differently than employees with physical impairments resulting from a work-related injury.

“Both Read More