Courts

New Study Finds Proposed Pretrial Detention Changes Would Have Little Impact On Crime & Would Unnecessarily Detain Many People

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Director Artie Pepin

Administrative Office of the Courts News:

SANTA FE — Proposals to make it easier to jail people awaiting trial will do little to reduce crime because they fail to accurately identify the individuals most likely to be arrested for a new offense if released pretrial, according to a new study.

Creating “rebuttable presumptions” in the law for pretrial detention would instead jail many people who would not be re-arrested if allowed to remain free before trial when they are legally presumed innocent of a crime, researchers found. Click here to view the study, which also is Read More

NM Governor Issues Executive Clemency To Six Individuals

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The Roundhouse in downtown Santa Fe. Post file photo
From the Office of the Governor:
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday issued executive clemency to six individuals convicted of crimes in New Mexico, all but one of whom was found guilty of non-violent offenses.
The forgiven offenses committed by the individuals include fraud, larceny, burglary, drug possession and distribution, and failure to disclose facts to obtain public assistance, among others. All of the offenses were at least a decade old, most dating back several decades.
Those receiving clemency include Cynthia Jaramillo,
Read More

Common Cause New Mexico Files Amicus Brief To Remove Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin From Office

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Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin

CCNM News:

Common Cause New Mexico filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief Friday with the First Judicial Court in New Mexico in support of three plaintiffs who seek to remove Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin from his office and prevent him from running again because he violated Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.

That provision disqualifies anyone who violates his oath to uphold either the state or national constitution by engaging in insurrection. The provision dates back to the post-civil war era.

The amicus Read More

FBI: Mescalero Man Sentenced To Prison For Assault

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Romeo Martinez was sentenced Aug. 16 to two years and nine months in prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country. Martinez, 23, of Mescalero pleaded guilty Jan. 25.

According to the plea agreement and other court records, June 29, 2021, Martinez arrived at his grandmother’s residence on the Mescalero Apache Reservation and confronted his grandmother and her sister, identified in court records as “M.B.” Martinez, who is not an enrolled member of Read More

FBI: Albuquerque Man Sentenced To More Than 5 Years In Prison For Auto Loan Fraud Schemes Exceeding $1.5 Million

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Rick Benavidez, 47, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court to five years and three months in prison for leading and organizing two auto loan fraud schemes involving a total intended loss of more than $1.5 million.  

Benavidez pleaded guilty April 29 to two counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of making fraudulent returns, statements or other documents.

In his plea agreement, Benavidez admitted to conspiring with his Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Affirms Dismissal Of Case Seeking Release Of Prison Inmates Because Of Pandemic

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Post file photo

New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court today affirmed the dismissal of litigation seeking the release of state prison inmates because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a unanimous opinion, the Court concluded that a district court in Santa Fe correctly dismissed the lawsuit although the justices disagreed with part of the lower court’s legal reasoning.

Eight inmates, the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed the lawsuit against the governor and prison system officials in Read More

Judicial Candidate Tim Bullock Discusses 1994 Disbarment

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Judicial candidate Tim Bullock

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Los Alamos Attorney and Magistrate judicial candidate Tim Bullock recently discussed his own dealings with the law, which occurred some 30 years ago.

While practicing law in Colorado in 1994, Bullock, 35 years old at the time, was convicted of one felony count and one misdemeanor count for aiding an escaped convict, who was his former client, according to court documents. Bullock was sentenced on a deferred judgment and sentenced to two years of probation, 150 hours of community service and Read More

FBI: Mexican National Faces Federal Drug Trafficking Charges In New Mexico

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Carlos Arturo “Ochenta” Quintana, 40, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the United States.

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Quintana, along with 10 other co-defendants, July 23, 2015. According to the indictment and other court records, in February and March 2011, Quintana, Jesus Salas-Aguayo, Elmy Hermosillo, Raul Corella-Hernandez and Jorge Adrian Ortega-Gallegos Read More

RPNM On New Mexico Supreme Court Allowing Illegal Aliens To Practice Law

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From the New Mexico of New Mexico:

ALBUQUERQUE — In an egregious action, the New Mexico Supreme Court has revised the rules for admission of lawyers to the State Bar, permitting illegal aliens to practice law in the state.

The Court has removed the citizenship requirement, allowing undocumented workers to become licensed lawyers in New Mexico.

Here is the link to the changed rule that would allow any person – despite immigration status – to be admitted to the State Bar. 

This is a rash and questionable decision by the high court, and the Court also didn’t follow the traditional process to seek public Read More

AG Hector Balderas Secures Murder Conviction Against Man Who Shot His Wife To Death In Red River

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New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas

From the Office of the Attorney General:

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that Jesus Torres pled guilty to one count of second degree murder.

The plea agreement was accepted by District Court Judge Emilio Chavez. Sentencing will be held at a later date, and Torres faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

“Domestic violence continues to plague our state, and more resources are needed to focus on intervention before tragedies like this occur,” Attorney General Balderas said.

On Jan. 15, 2022, the defendant Read More