Courts

Balderas Announces Prison Sentence For ‘Vampire Facial’ Spa Owner Who Performed Unlicensed Medical Procedures On Individuals Who Contracted HIV

by

AG News:

ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Wednesdat that Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz, a former Albuquerque spa owner who conducted dangerous, unlicensed medical procedures on members of the general public, was sentenced to three-and-one-half years in prison on five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license, to be followed by four years probation and 800 hours of community service.

Ramos de Ruiz was indicted by a Bernalillo County grand jury in April 2021 for performing “vampire facials” and other unlicensed medical procedures on at least Read More

State Supreme Court Ruling Resolves Legal Question About Prosecuting Cattle Theft In New Mexico

by

Justice David K. Thomson

New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE — Livestock theft is to be prosecuted for each occurrence of theft rather than a separate charge for each animal allegedly stolen, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in an opinion released Monday.

In a unanimous opinion, the state’s highest court provided the legal reasoning for a decision it announced from the bench earlier this year in a consolidated appeal involving three people awaiting trial for allegedly stealing cattle in Otero County. The Court heard oral arguments in the case in Las Cruces as part of a civics education program Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Initiatives Successful In Expediting Criminal Cases And Streamlining Procedures

by

New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico courts are expediting criminal cases with new procedures and helping witnesses and law enforcement avoid the need to appear at multiple hearings.

The largest district court in the state –the Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque – is successfully using retired judges to hold settlement conferences to facilitate plea discussions in criminal cases. About 43 percent of the 524 cases referred to the program this year were resolved through pleas by the defendants or case dismissals by prosecutors. The settlements eliminated the need Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Rules On Sex Offender Eligibility For Parole Review Hearings

by

New Mexico Supreme Court. Courtesy photo

NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court (NMSC) ruled Thursday that time sex offenders serve while on “in-house” parole in prison counts toward eligibility for a hearing to determine whether their parole will continue.

The hearing before the state Parole Board does not guarantee that an offender will be released from parole. The board makes the final decision.

In a split decision, the state’s highest court affirmed a San Juan County district court’s ruling that Ryan James Alan Thompson was entitled to a hearing before the Parole Board because Read More

Judge Elizabeth Allen: Why I’m Running For Re-Election

by

By Judge Elizabeth Allen
Los Alamos Municipal Court

Fourteen years ago, I passed the bar exam and embarked on a meaningful career as a lawyer. I have worked as a prosecutor, a defense attorney, and a sole practitioner. I represented children in child protection court, lifers in prison on their post-conviction appeals, and families seeking special education services. My favorite job, though, has been serving as the Municipal Judge in Los Alamos, and that is why I am running for re-election.

As a new judge in 2019, I was excited to learn the position and to improve the court process. Not only did my Read More

Judicial Compensation Commission Meets Thursday

by

NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Judicial Compensation Commission will meet at 2 p.m., Thursday Sept. 29 to consider recommendations to the 2023 Legislature for a possible judicial salary increase.

Live streamed on the New Mexico Courts YouTube channel.

Click here for the Sept. 29 meeting agenda.

The independent commission is required by state law to annually recommend a judicial pay plan to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Department of Finance and Administration. Commission members will remotely participate in the online meeting through a video conferencing platform.

The Read More

Madrid: Pepin Award ‘An Absolute Disgrace’

by

By GERALD A. MADRID
Albuquerque

In response to the article (link) about Artie Pepin getting a national award for his work “improving” the pretrial system in New Mexico. Pepin along with the late Supreme Court Justice, Charles Daniels are the two directly responsible for bringing bail reform to this state. It has been an absolute failure and the thing most responsible for the “catch and release”, the “revolving door at the jails” and the spike in crime.

Albuquerque has already recorded over 100 homicides this year and on track to break last year’s all-time high of 117. Bail reform has completely Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Rules That State Law Allows For Partial Forfeiture Of Groundwater Rights

by

New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE – New Mexico law allows for the partial forfeiture of underground water rights, the state Supreme Court ruled today.

In a unanimous opinion, the justices affirmed decisions of a district court and the Court of Appeals in a case involving Toby Romero, the owner of land and a well in Sierra County near Cutter, a defunct mining town southeast of Truth or Consequences. A railroad originally used the well to service steam locomotives and later to water livestock. The town ceased to exist after mines and the railroad depot shut down decades ago. Romero acquired Read More

AG Balderas On New Mexico Supreme Court Decision To Reverse Court of Appeals, Eliminating Criminal Liability From Governmental Conduct Act

by

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas

From the Office of the Attorney General:

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas issued the following statement after a New Mexico Supreme Court decision limited the Governmental Conduct Act to guiding ethical principles and eliminated criminal liability:

“I’m disappointed that the Supreme Court took away from citizens a very necessary tool to prosecute public officials who use their public office for their own personal gain, and it’s clear the Legislature must immediately work with the State Ethics Commission to Read More

National Pretrial Group Honors State Supreme Court Justice And New Mexico Courts Administrator

by

Supreme Court Justice Michael E. Vigil receives the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award. Courtesy/AOC

Administrative Office of the Courts Director Arthur Pepin receives the John C. Hendricks Pioneer Award. Courtesy/AOC

AOC News:

SANTA FE – Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has announced that two New Mexico courts officials have been recognized by a national organization for their work to improve the state’s pretrial justice system.

Supreme Court Justice Michael E. Vigil received the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award from the National Association of Pretrial Read More