Public Safety

Op-Ed: A Deep Dive Into Medical Malpractice

by

By Rep. CHRISTINE CHANDLER (D-Los Alamos)
Chair of the House Judiciary Committee 

Healthcare access is top of mind for everyone in New Mexico, rightfully so, as we see more and more doctors leave the state to practice elsewhere. There are many reasons for this exodus. All of these reasons need to be addressed, including (especially) the unbounded litigation environment created by New Mexico’s Medical Malpractice Act.

Bills implementing the medical compacts, expanding the medical school, ramping up recruitment with a generous loan repayment program, increasing residencies, enacting Read More

Supreme Court Rules On Exclusion Of Expert Witness Affidavit In Malpractice Case

by

NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court ruled that a trial court acted properly in striking a sworn statement of an expert witness in a medical malpractice case because it was filed months after a court-imposed deadline for submitting such evidence.

In a unanimous opinion, the Court concluded that the district court in Bernalillo County “properly exercised its inherent authority to enforce its scheduling order” that governed when certain events must occur in the case. 

The justices rejected arguments that the trial court had effectively imposed a sanction of dismissal of the case by its Read More

Op-Ed: Hold The line In Hard Times

by

By ERIC SCHALLER
Los Alamos

I used to work in a level 1 trauma center’s Emergency Department. Occasionally, we saw the results of horrible, evil things come in the door. Things that could rattle the most seasoned docs, nurses, techs, and researchers. Things that I don’t talk about. Things that make you question the assumption that humanity is basically good. Things that make you question whether what you are doing is worthwhile. Things that can make you become cynical and turn your back on trying to help people.

To help myself and my team cope with things like this, I developed the following

Read More

Los Alamos 2025 Crime Statistics Reflect 20% Drop

by

By Chief Dino Sgambellone
Los Alamos Police Department

Overall, crime reported to police in all categories fell 20%, with Crimes Against Persons increasing from 47 to 56, Crimes Against Property decreasing from 153 to 110, and Crimes Against Society decreasing from 22 to 12. 

Consistent with crime reported to police in 2024, larceny/theft and fraud cases continue to drive higher crime rates within the community. 

Citizens are encouraged to remain vigilant in their neighborhoods and should secure personal belongings, vehicles, and residences. Please feel free to contact the Police Department Read More

NMSOP To Host Patient Advocacy Day At Roundhouse

by

NMSOP News:

SANTA FE — Patients, survivors, and advocates from across New Mexico will gather at the State Capitol on Friday, January 30, for Patient Advocacy Day, hosted by New Mexico Safety Over Profit (NMSOP).

Patient Advocacy Day will center the voices of New Mexicans who have been directly impacted by the state’s health care workforce shortage, unsafe hospital conditions, and barriers to accountability when preventable harm occurs. Participants will meet with lawmakers to share why NMSOP’s legislative priorities are critical to improving access to care without weakening patient Read More

New Mexico Senate Committee Discusses Harsher Penalties For Felons With Guns

by

By ESTEBAN CANDELARIA
The Santa Fe New Mexican

The illegal possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime carries serious penalties in New Mexico — at least three years in prison.

Still, hundreds of people have been charged with the offense in recent years.

So, how can New Mexico better deter the problem?

That was the question lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee pondered Monday afternoon, as the Legislature gears up to consider several proposals designed to curb violent crime in New Mexico during this year’s 30-day session.

For Ben Baker, senior public safety adviser Read More

House Advances 10 Bills To Expand Access To Quality Affordable Healthcare In New Mexico

by

STATE News:

SANTA FE — Jan. 26, the New Mexico House of Representatives advanced 10 pieces of legislation to improve healthcare access across the state by lowering out-of-pocket costs, expanding access to care, and recruiting and retaining more providers.

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed seven bills today that would expand access to healthcare through participation in interstate healthcare compacts, which allow states to expedite licensing for qualified healthcare providers who wish to practice in multiple states.

“By joining interstate compacts, New Mexico can Read More

Hundreds Rally For Immigrant Rights At State Capitol

by

House Speaker Javier Martínez, right, marches with members of Somos Acción and other demonstrators along Paseo de Peralta while heading to the state Capitol Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, during an Immigrant and Worker Day of Action rally. Photo by Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

By CLARA BATES
The Santa Fe New Mexican

Undeterred by subfreezing temperatures, hundreds of immigrant rights advocates from across New Mexico gathered at the state Capitol in Santa Fe on Monday to call for a ban on local government-contracted immigration detention centers, stricter privacy protections and workforce development Read More

FBI: Albuquerque Man Gets 19 Years For Online Sextortion

by

FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison for coercing a 15-year-old girl into producing sexually explicit images over several years and for sexually exploiting a second victim who was 12 years old.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, between 2019 and 2022, Adrian Puentes, 26, engaged in an ongoing pattern of sextortion and sexual exploitation involving two minor victims. Beginning when Jane Doe 1 was in eighth grade, Puentes used multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, to Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Issues Opinion Abolishing Lawsuits For Alienation Of Affections

by

NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court (NMSC) Monday issued a precedent-setting opinion eliminating legal claims for damages for the loss of a spouse’s affections in a marriage.

The Court’s unanimous opinion provides the legal reasoning for a ruling from the bench last August ordering a trial court to dismiss a civil lawsuit that sought to hold a New Mexico resident liable for the breakup of a Colorado man’s marriage. The Colorado couple is now divorced.

The ruling by the state’s highest court abolished the “tort of alienation of affections” by overturning a legal precedent from a Read More