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…)
T-shirts of Peshlakai sisters worn by the several dozen supporters at an Oct. 20, 2011, vehicular homicide sentencing for James Ruiz. (Geoff Grammer/The New Mexican)
It looks as though the passenger in the vehicular homicide case that took the lives of Del Lynn and Deshauna Peshlakai in 2010 won’t face criminal charges.
That’s what the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office on Thursday announced.
James Ruiz, the man in prison for 40 years for driving drunk and killing the sisters after a high school state tournament basketball game at Santa Fe Indian School, claims Gilbert Mendoza agreed to buy all the drinks that night if Ruiz would drive. That fits with state law allowing the state to proceed with charges against a passenger under the legal theory of accessory liability.
The AG’s Office went after (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…)
Assistant Attorney General Maria Sanchez-Gagne, left, and America's Most Wanted host John Walsh during filming of a 2-hour special to be aired Friday on the Lifetime network. (Photo courtesy nmag.gov/photoalbums)
The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office will be featured on a special two-hour America’s Most Wanted episode Friday night on the Lifetime network.
Here is a brief description of the episode, or at least the AGO’s part in it, as sent out in an email this morning by the AGO’s Deputy Director of Communications Lynn Southard:
A special two-hour program, hosted by John Walsh will feature the AGO’s work to combat human trafficking is part of AMW’s in-depth look into the sex trade, which often involves victims of human trafficking
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:
Carlos Fierro, serving a prison sentence for vehicular homicide, testifies Monday in court at the vehicular homicide trial of his passenger, Alfred Lovato. (Jane Phillips/The New Mexican)
State District Judge Michael Vigil on Monday afternoon tossed (again) the vehicular homicide case against Alfred Lovato, a former state cop who was a passenger in a car that struck and killed pedestrian William Tenorio in 2008.
Vigil, some may remember, tossed this case before saying there was no legal grounds to charge the passenger with the same charge as former attorney Carlos Fierro was charged with (Fierro was convicted of vehicular homicide in a jury trial in 2009 and is currently serving a prison sentence in Los Lunas).
The Court of Appeals, basically, sent the case back to Vigil’s court saying a passenger could, in fact, be charged with vehicular homicide under certain circumstances. That’s a pretty huge ruling and one that Assistant District Attorney Donna Bevacqua-Young felt was worthy of using this case as a good test run for.
The problem is I talked to a dozen or so people familiar with the case over the past month or so and didn’t hear one — not one (more…)
Jerome Block Jr.'s latest mug shot after his Friday, Jan. 27 booking. (Courtest Santa Fe County jail)
This from Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Steve Terrell:
Resigned state Public Regulation Commission member Jerome Block Jr. should spend some time inside a prison, state District Judge Michael Vigil said Friday.
The judge ordered Block to undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation at the state Corrections Department facility in Los Lunas before Vigil imposes final sentencing for the various felonies to which Block pleaded guilty last year, including embezzlement of public funds.
Block, 34, could face up to 4 1/2 years in prison.
“Your activities in Drug Court showed you still don’t understand the seriousness of your addiction,” the judge told Block, who has admitted to a problem with prescription drugs. “You haven’t hit bottom yet.”
Here is the lengthier version of Steve’s story:
The following is a news release from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office (more specifically, the office’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Division):
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Division reports today Catherine and Joseph Hernandez of Santa Fe have been found guilty by a Santa Fe County jury of Medicaid Fraud and Falsification of Documents.
Catherine Hernandez has been found guilty of Medicaid Fraud, counts 1,2 and 3 and Falsification of Documents, counts 4, 5 and 6. She could face 9 years in prison and repayment up to $55,000. Joseph Hernandez has been found guilty of one count each, Medicaid Fraud and Falsification of Documents. He faces a possible prison sentence of up to three years and potential repayment up to $7,000.
The crimes committed occurred (more…)
Image courtesy NMAG.gov.
This from the NM Attorney General’s Office:
Attorney General Gary King is proud to announce that Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Supervisor Anthony Maez has received an Award Citation from United States Attorney Kenneth Gonzales, recognizing his leadership of the joint ICAC operation.
In the Award Citation, U.S. Attorney Gonzales relays his appreciation for Maez’s work as Supervisory Special Agent, growing the ICAC Task Force to more than 60 local, state, and federal affiliates.
The award states:”…the ICAC Task Force has (more…)
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…)
