Courts

NMPJP: Whistleblower Ousted For Raising Concerns About Rodent Infestation At New Mexico Women’s Prison In Grants

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In February 2019, NMPJP filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of two women incarcerated in what is described as a rodent infested prison in Grants. Now NMPJP has filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of former prison employee Nicole Ramirez, who shares her story about being harassed and threatened by leadership at the prison after filing a written complaint about the infestation. Courtesy photo

NMPJP News:

In February 2021, the New Mexico Prison & Jail Project (NMPJP) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Susie Zapata and Monica Garcia, two inmates whose civil rights were violated because of their Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil To Retire

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Justice Barbara J. Vigil. Courtesy photo

Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE – Justice Barbara J. Vigil plans to retire from the New Mexico Supreme Court at the end of June. She is the longest-serving member of the current Court.

Justice Vigil joined the state’s highest court in December 2012, and was Chief Justice in 2014-16.

The justice was a district court judge in the First Judicial District of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties from 2000 until her election to the Supreme Court. She became chief judge of the district in 2011. For 10 years while on the district court, she presided over Read More

FBI: Husband And Wife Charged With Assaulting Metropolitan Police Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

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Mark Middleton, 52, of Forestburg, Texas, and Jalise Middleton, 51, also of Forestburg, Texas were arrested Wednesday and charged with assaulting two police officers and other crimes. Courtesy/FBI

FBI News:

  • ‘Couple Repeatedly Struck Officers in Attempt to Breach Capitol Barricades’

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wednesday, April 21, a Texas couple was arrested for assaulting two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers, as well as other crimes, during the Jan. 6 breach on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming Presidential election Read More

New Mexico State Land Office Files Lawsuit To Clean Up Massive Abandoned Oil And Gas Site In McKinley County

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This map shows the location of expired leases and inactive wells. Courtesy/State Land Office 

State Land Office News:

SANTA FE — In honor of Earth Day Thursday, April 22, the New Mexico State Land Office filed its 16th lawsuit in its ongoing Accountability and Enforcement Program.

The Accountability and Enforcement Program, launched in November 2020, is a historic, agency-wide programmatic approach being undertaken to ensure oil and gas companies, and other lease holders, honor their contractual promise to operate and close out responsibly.

“At the core of our Accountability and Enforcement Read More

Court Of Appeals Judge Gerald E. Baca Takes Oath Of Office

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Court of Appeals Judge Gerald Baca taking the oath of office. Courtesy/Fourth Judicial District Court

Gift from judges and court staff to Judge Gerald Baca. Courtesy/Fourth Judicial District Court

Virtual ceremony of Judge Gerald Baca taking the oath of office. Courtesy/Fourth Judicial District Court

NMSC News:

LAS VEGAS, NM — Judge Gerald E. Baca was sworn into office Friday as a judge of the state Court of Appeals.

In a virtual ceremony, Judge Baca took the oath of office in a courtroom at the San Miguel County Courthouse. Chief Justice Michael Vigil administered the oath from his office in Read More

Governor On Guilty Verdict In Derek Chauvin Case

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From the Office of the Governor:

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement this afternoon upon a Minnesota jury issuing a guilty verdict on all three counts against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin:

“New Mexico has grieved alongside the rest of the nation and the world over the unconscionable killing of George Floyd as he begged for breath in the street last year. We have grieved with each new instance of injustice in the interim.

“And while no courtroom verdict will ever bring Mr. Floyd back to his family, to his children, and while no guilty verdict will Read More

Los Alamos Police Blotter March 17 To April 13, 2021

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LAPD News:

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

 

REID M. SCHNEIDER

March 17 at 12:36 p.m. / Police arrested Reid M. Schneider, 31, of White Rock at 2500 Trinity Dr., on an outstanding Magistrate Court warrant.

 

 

 

CARL CALVIN CHRISTIANSEN

March 19 at 9:36 p.m. / Police arrested Carl Calvin Christiansen, 47, of White Rock on East Road and charged him with DUI.

 

 

 

 

ADAM TRISTAN JOSEPH Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Convictions Of Alamogordo Man For His Role In Murder And Other Crimes

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NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court Monday affirmed the convictions of Robert “Bob” Chavez for his role in killing a man in Alamogordo in 2011 and burning the victim’s body.

In a unanimous decision, the state’s highest court rejected Chavez’s arguments in appealing convictions of first-degree murder as an accessory to the killing, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, arson and evidence tampering. Chavez was sentenced to life imprisonment – requiring a minimum of 30 years before becoming eligible for parole – plus an additional 21 years. 

According Read More