This from The New Mexican’s Local News in Brief section for Jan. 21:
Attorney General Gary King says the state is responsible for paying to furnish a new district courthouse in Santa Fe.
The state Board of Finance is to consider a request Thursday from the First Judicial District for a loan of nearly $827,000 for (more…)
The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday released a video it says clarifies what happened last week when two indictments were handed down to Loretta Mares and Richard Crabtree in the Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center fraud case.
The video is 3 minutes, 35 seconds long and includes the following disclaimer at the beginning of the video:
This report series clarifies the position of the Attorney General’s Office by showing expanded interviews.
Unfortunately, there are no interviews whatsoever and (more…)
Alfred Lovato, the former state police sergeant riding in Carlos Fierro's passenger seat when he struck and killed a man in 2008, was found not guilty on Tuesday. (File photo by Jane Phillips/The New Mexican)
Here is the emailed statement sent out Tuesday afternoon by New Mexico Attorney General Gary King after former state police officer Alfred Lovato was found not guilty of leaving the scene of a 2008 crash that killed a pedestrian (he had his vehicular homicide charge tossed out Monday before the jury was allowed to deliberate the charge):
(SANTA FE)—In response to the acquittal of Alfred Lovato on vehicular homicide charges, Attorney General Gary King had this to say, “Our perspective on what happened is straightforward—two adult men decided they were going to get stinking drunk together; both decided they should drive despite being severely impaired; then they stopped to get snacks together; and both were in the car when they struck and killed a pedestrian. We are disappointed that the judge did not let the jury deliberate on our evidence because we believe they would have agreed with us that both men are responsible for William Tenorio’s death that tragic evening in Santa Fe.”
Nonetheless, Attorney General King says his office respectfully accepts the ruling of the court but he vows to continue to try to keep drunk drivers off our roads. He strongly believes that people need to be held accountable for their actions involving DWI.
“It is never a waste of time and resources to try to get justice for a man who was run over and killed by a couple of drunks,” said AG King.
As for Lovato’s being found not guilty today on the felony offense of leaving the scene of an accident, AG King says he is disappointed.
Here is a link to the story posted online moments after the verdict:
Jerome Block Jr. on the left, Gary King on the right.
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King on Wednesday said he’d seek from the court a full 4 1/2 year prison sentence for former PRC commissioner Jerome Block Jr.
Block was booted Tuesday from the Adult Drug Court program in Santa Fe and will now face sentencing for several felonies he pleaded guilty to earlier this year.
Here is what (more…)
Jerome Block Jr. (Jail booking mug from Friday Oct. 14)
There wasn’t much new about what happened in court Wednesday for former PRC Commissioner Jerome Block Jr., really just finalizing plea hearing matters that were already reported by just about every news outlet in the Santa Fe and Albuquerque news markets over the past few weeks.
But here is a statement from New Mexico Attorney General Gary King on the hearing:
Today in Santa Fe, Jerome Block, Jr. finalized his plea agreement with the State of New Mexico. Block, Jr.’s agreement requires him to admit guilt to several felony offenses, pay all required restitution, and resign his position as a Public Regulation Commissioner, which he has now done. The agreement further allows him to attend the Drug Court program prior to sentencing.
Attorney General Gary King responded by stating “Now the State of New Mexico can put this matter behind it and move forward with without the need for impechment that would have been expensive and time consuming. This episode will serve as a reminder of the potential penalties that await any candidate for public office who violates New Mexico’s campaign reporting laws. Mr. Block now has an opportunity to turn his life around and become a productive citizen. If he continues down the path he was on before this, he will have no one to blame but himself, and he will face the consequences.”
Superstar political reporter Steve Terrell covered the court hearing for The New Mexican. I’ll add a link to his story later tonight when it posts online.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
This from the AG’s office regarding the Jerome Block Jr. arrest on Friday (as reported here):
Attorney General Gary King today acknowledged reports that Jerome Block, Jr. had been arrested by Santa Fe police saying, “This is obviously not a good start toward honoring his commitment to successfully complete drug court under terms of his plea agreement with the state. Mr. Block must first be accepted and then complete the drug court program before he can even request any considerations from the trial judge at sentencing; I will enforce the agreement accordingly.”
Here is the blog post I had earlier when I learned Block had been booked:
And here is the New Mexican story that’s been updated throughout the afternoon, which includes a copy of the remand order filed at District Court:
Attorney General’s Office spokesman Phil Sisneros on Tuesday morning posted a blog slamming the media.
I think it’s safe to say the source of Phil’s ire, and that of the AGO’s office as a whole, originates with this past weekend’s editorial in The New Mexican: Odoriferous doings at the AG’s office
That piece called for, among other things, for AG Gary King Jr. to step down (more…)
