Courts

AG Balderas And 11th Judicial District Attorney Tedrow Secure Guilty Pleas In MMIW Case

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Attorney General Hector Balderas

AG News:

FARMINGTON — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas and Eleventh Judicial District Attorney Rick Tedrow announced Thursday that Jerry Jay pled guilty to the first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder of Cecelia Finona.

Jay faces up to 33 years in prison at sentencing, which will be held after Jay undergoes a forensic evaluation.

“As we continue to fight for justice and help bring closure to Cecelia’s family, New Mexico still has a long way to go in helping Indigenous families impacted by violent crime,” Attorney General Balderas said. Read More

FBI: Las Cruces Man Charged With Armed Robbery

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office have announced that Myles Delando Luciano made an initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with interference with commerce by threats or violence.

Luciano, 26, of Las Cruces, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 9.

According to the complaint, Luciano and Joshua Lopez, 25, also of Las Cruces, allegedly attempted to walk out of a Lowes Read More

Common Cause New Mexico On Ruling Removing Couy Griffin From Office: ‘Elected Officials Can’t Just Snub Noses At Constitution’

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Couy Griffin

CCNM News:

Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was removed from office for his role in an insurrection, a Santa Fe court has ruled. The ruling, which came after a two-day bench trial in August, also precludes him from running for office in the future.

The ruling came in a case brought by three private citizens from New Mexico. It was based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which bars any person who took an oath as an officer of the state to support the Constitution. This is the first time the 1868 law has been applied to officials who participated in the Jan. 6 revolt—and Read More

LAFRW: Magistrate Judge Candidate Tim Bullock Sept. 8

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Magistrate Judge candidate Tim Bullock

LAFRW News:

The Los Alamos Federated Republican Women (LAFRW) invite the community to hear a presentation by Los Alamos Magistrate Judge candidate Tim Bullock noon to 12:45 p.m. Thursday Sept. 8 during the public portion of its meeting.

The meeting will be held at 2101 Trinity Dr., Suite A2.

For further information, email losalamosfrw@gmail.com. Read More

AG Hector Balderas And DA Dianna Luce Announce 32-Year Prison Sentence For Child Predator

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Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce

From the Office of the Attorney General:

ROSWELL — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas and Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce announced that the Honorable Thomas Lilley sentenced Edward Bingham to 32 years in prison.

In announcing the sentence, Judge Lilley found that the circumstances surrounding the case were egregious and that Bingham had no remorse for his crimes.

In addition to the sentence of incarceration, Bingham will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The case was prosecuted by the Fifth Judicial Read More

NMSP: 26-Year-Old Woman Charged With Homicide By Vehicle In Connection With Deadly Crash On I-25 In Santa Fe County

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Jacqueline Amber Bailon

SANTA FE COUNTY– Sunday, Sept.  4 at around 11:47 p.m., New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 25 (I-25) near milepost 268 south of Santa Fe. 

The initial investigation indicated that a 2013 Ford F-150, driven by Jacqueline Amber Bailon, 26, of Santo Domingo was traveling south on Interstate 25 at a high speed. Bailon collided with the rear end of a 2001 Ford F-150 also traveling south on Interstate 25.

The impact caused the 2001 F-150 to roll. Juanita Ojeda, 63, of Albuquerque suffered fatal injuries in the crash and Read More

AG Balderas Successfully Detains Accused Molester

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Attorney General Hector Balderas

From the Office of the Attorney General:

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that Ryan Callahan will remain behind bars until his trial.

Callahan has been charged with criminal sexual contact of a minor and multiple counts of child exploitation of children by possession and manufacturing. The state argued that Callahan only needs momentary access to children or to the internet in order to resume his damaging criminal efforts against children.

In light of the heinous nature of Callahan’s actions the state moved for Read More

Scenes From Los Alamos Police Department Swearing In Ceremony For Cpl. Malik Matthews-Gordon

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Police Cpl. Malik Matthews-Gordon is sworn in today by Honorable Judge Pat Casados as a new officer to serve in the Los Alamos Department during a ceremony in Magistrate Court at the Justice Center. Cpl. Matthews-Gordon comes to Los Alamos from the New Mexico State Police. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Judge Pat Casados and Deputy Police Chief Oliver Morris observe as Cpl. Malik Matthew-Gordon signs the necessary paperwork making the process official. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Cpl. Malik Matthews-Gordon is pinned with his new badge by wife Marilyn. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com Read More

Los Alamos Police Charge 19-Year-Old Man In Criminal Sexual Abuse Case

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William Louis Macinnes

LAPD News:

The Los Alamos Police Department Criminal Investigations Section is investigating a criminal sexual abuse case involving a child under the age of 13 years that occurred at the Little Forest Playschool in Los Alamos.

LAPD Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for 19-year-old William Louis Macinnes, a Los Alamos resident.

Macinnes is being held in the Los Alamos County Detention Center on the following charges:

  • Count 1: Criminal Sexual Contact Of A Minor;
  • Count 2: Criminal Sexual Contact Of A Minor;
  • Count 3: Criminal Sexual Penetration (1st Degree); and
  • Count
Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Issues Opinion On Right To Use Public Water Flowing Over Private Property

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Justice Michael E. Vigil

AOC News:

SANTA FE — People have a constitutional right to walk or wade on the streambed of water flowing over privately owned land in New Mexico when they fish or engage in other recreation, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in an opinion issued Thursday.

“We hold that the public has the right to recreate and fish in public waters and that this right includes the privilege to do such acts as are reasonably necessary to effect the enjoyment of such right,” the Court concluded in a unanimous opinion read by Justice Michael E. Vigil.

The opinion provided the legal reasoning for Read More