Courts

Quay County, Village Of Logan Requests U.S. Attorney, NM General Attorney Investigate Fraud By ENMWUA

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LEGAL News:

LOGAN — Fraud has been committed by Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority in order to obtain funds from the federal and state governments, according to information sent by Quay County and Village of Logan to the U.S. Attorney, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of the Interior, New Mexico State Auditor and New Mexico Attorney General.

ENMWUA is a governmental entity created by the New Mexico legislature for the purpose of building a water pipeline from Ute Lake in Quay County south 120 miles to the Clovis area. Although the project was originally budgeted at $500 million, Read More

New Mexico Jury Delivers $375 Million Verdict Against Meta In Landmark Case

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Feliz Rael
President
New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association

From New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association:

          • Lawyers Fight and Win for Kids to be Protected From Meta
          • New Mexico Jurors Are the Heroes

SANTA FE — In a major victory for consumers and families, a jury has awarded a $375 million verdict against Meta, finding the social media giant failed to disclose the potential mental health harms its platforms pose to minors.

The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez in partnership with nationally recognized trial firm Motley Rice LLC, resulted in $187.5 million in damages for each of Read More

FBI: Shiprock Woman Sentenced For Assault

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A Shiprock woman was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting and stabbing another woman.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on Nov. 21, 2024, Angelia Garcia, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, repeatedly stabbed Jane Doe in an unprovoked attack. As a result of the attack, the victim sustained serious wounds, including a wound to the back of her neck. During a subsequent interview with agents, Garcia admitted to stabbing the victim.

Garcia subsequently pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon her release from Read More

FBI: Dulce Man Pleads Guilty To Second Degree Murder

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has pleaded guilty in federal court to shooting and killing another man.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 5, 2024, Damian Amarillo, 21, a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, shot and killed John Doe in a neighborhood in Dulce, N.M., within the exterior boundaries of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

The shooting followed an earlier confrontation at Amarillo’s residence. After John Doe left the residence, Amarillo chased him through the neighborhood, assaulted him, and then shot him. John Doe died from his injuries at the scene. Read More

Juror Appreciation Week Proclaimed May 4–8

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Chief Justice David K. Thomson

COURT News:

SANTA FE — Chief Justice David K. Thomson has designated Juror Appreciation Week in New Mexico as May 4-8, 2026 to honor the thousands of people who fulfill their civic obligation for jury duty.

A proclamation by the Chief Justice describes jury service as “indispensable to the judicial system.”

Nearly 45,000 New Mexicans reported to state courthouses for jury selection in 2025, and almost 8,200 of those were chosen to serve as a juror for a trial or a grand jury proceeding.

“New Mexicans play an essential role in preserving the rule of law by serving on Read More

Scenes From LAPD’s Promotions & Appointment Ceremony

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Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone welcomes and expresses his appreciation to the families, friends and community members who gathered to celebrate the promotions of Cmdr. Benjamin Irving and Sgt. Samantha Terrazas and the appointment of Cpl. Ronaldo Ulibarri, on Thursday morning in the Magistrate Court at the Justice Center. LAPD Command Staff and the Honorable Judge Catherine Taylor listen at left. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

Newly promoted Cmdr. Benjamin Irving takes the oath of office as his wife looks on, Thursday morning in the Magistrate Court at the Justice Center. Read More

The FOIA: Off To A Slow Start, Picked Up Speed, Now Hitting A Brick Wall

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By THOMAS M. SUSMAN
American Bar Association
Feb. 16, 2026

It was June 1968 when I arrived in Washington, D.C., after a year in New Orleans clerking for Fifth Circuit Judge John Minor Wisdom. A new law requiring more government transparency was just going into effect.

I had accepted a job as a Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Frank Wozencraft in the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). While I worked on efforts to advance the confirmation of Abe Fortas to be Chief Justice on the Supreme Court, I was also assigned to work with OLC attorney Warren Belmar, Read More

State High School Mock Trial Finals Occur Friday And Saturday In Albuquerque

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COURT News:

ALBUQUERQUE — About 230 students from across New Mexico will participate Friday and Saturday in the finals of the state high school mock trial competition, which will be held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.

The first round of competition starts at 9 a.m. on Friday. The top team along with the winning courtroom artist and courtroom journalist in the Gene Franchini New Mexico High School Mock Trial Program will advance to the national championship, which will be held May 7-9 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sixteen teams—each ranging from seven to fourteen students—will compete Read More

Los Alamos Police Blotter: March 13-17, 2026

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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.

 

VISENTE ESIQUIO CHAVEZ

March 13 at 5:19 p.m. / police arrested Visente Esiquio Chavez, 36, of Santa Fe at Los Alamos Medical Center and charged him with Battery on a Household Member.

 

ANDREW RODRIGUEZ

March 17 at 7:28 p.m. / police arrested Andrew Rodriguez, 27, of Hernandez on an outstanding Magistrate Court Warrant. Read More

American Bar Association Chooses Five Recipients For 2026 Women Lawyers Of Achievement Award

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ABA News:

CHICAGO — The American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Women in the Profession has chosen five women lawyers to receive its 2026 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. The award ceremony and reception will take place from 3-5:30 p.m. CDT, Aug. 2 during the ABA Annual Conference in Chicago.

This year’s honorees:

Cory M. Amron, co-founder and president of Women Lawyers on Guard Inc. (WLG), a national non-profit organization addressing four areas: sexual harassment, women’s reproductive rights, gender and workplace equity and an increasing focus on protecting, Read More