New Mexico

Strange things occur at New Mexico courthouse, and a ghost is blamed

Some employees believe a ghost is responsible for unexplained activity at the Otero County Courthouse in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Some report seeing a ghost wearing a suit from the early 1900s, doors closing on their own, and items falling to the ground for no reason, KRQE News 13 reports. The…

May 27, 2016 6:15 AM CDT

New Mexico sues EPA, seeking cleanup of toxic mine spill and damages

Ordinarily, when there’s a dispute about claimed environmental damage due to corporate operations, it’s the Environmental Protection Agency that sues to get it cleaned up. But a lawsuit filed Monday by the state of New Mexico in federal court in Albuquerque names the EPA as a defendant, along with an…

May 24, 2016 1:00 PM CDT

Former mayor’s old Facebook page should be reopened, says judge, because it may have public info

The Facebook page of a former mayor is public record, says a New Mexico court. Now she needs to figure out how to reactivate the account, which has been shut down. “Hopefully everything is still there,” Stephen Thies, the Alamogordo City attorney, told the Santa Fe New Mexican. The city…

May 3, 2016 10:30 AM CDT

Suit claims judge secretly bugged courthouse and recorded conversations

A suspended New Mexico judge is accused in a lawsuit of secretly bugging multiple locations in the courthouse and recording hundreds of hours of private conversations. The suit filed on Friday claims suspended Aztec Magistrate Court Judge Connie Johnston placed the devices in more than a dozen locations, including an…

Mar 1, 2016 8:20 AM CST

Lawyer is acquitted in shooting of homeless man

An Albuquerque, New Mexico, lawyer was acquitted in a retrial on Monday in the shooting of a homeless man who entered his office. Jurors acquitted David “Chip” Venie after deliberating for about seven hours, report the Albuquerque Journal and KOB.com. Venie claimed he shot Stephen Biddinger in the leg in…

Feb 2, 2016 6:54 AM CST

Second trial starts for New Mexico lawyer accused of shooting homeless man who entered his office

Opening statements began today in the trial of an attorney accused of shooting a man in the leg for entering the attorney’s downtown Albuquerque office, KRQE reported Monday. David “Chip” Venie is accused of shooting Stephen Biddinger in the leg in August of 2012. Biddinger, who is homeless, stepped into…

Jan 26, 2016 3:45 PM CST

Defendant attacks prosecutor after conviction on sex-abuse charge

A New Mexico man faces new charges after attacking a prosecutor in a courtroom immediately following his conviction on a charge of criminal sexual contact of a minor under the age of 13. Michael T. Cox Jr., 31, can be seen on a courtroom video jumping out of his chair…

Jan 25, 2016 2:45 PM CST

Whistleblower suit says $24M settlement wasn’t enough, points finger at claimed Day Pitney conflicts

Hired to help New Mexico recoup money allegedly lost as a result of “pay to play” arrangements concerning state investments, the law firm Day Pitney negotiated a settlement of over $24 million from Wall Street financial institutions. But that amount was too low, a former state investment official contends in…

Nov 20, 2015 1:35 PM CST

Disbarred judge refuses to resign

A disbarred New Mexico municipal court judge is resisting calls to resign. Corrales Municipal Judge Luis Quintana contends that his disbarment is unrelated to his duties as a judge, the Albuquerque Journal reports. Quintana was disbarred July 1 for failing to turn over a $4,500 settlement check to a client…

Oct 7, 2015 4:10 PM CDT

Judge says lawyer defending himself in shooting trial ‘lost the jury’; mistrial is declared

A judge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, declared a mistrial on Wednesday and appointed counsel for a lawyer defending himself in the shooting of a homeless man. Judge Allen Smith said the problems began when criminal defense lawyer, David “Chip” Venie, called the victim, Stephen Biddinger, a “methed-out lunatic,” in opening…

Aug 20, 2015 7:18 AM CDT

Judge tells lawyer to give dashcam video to state; is ruling consistent with defense obligations?

A defense lawyer has an ethical obligation to turn over to the prosecution a New Mexico state police dashcam video that the government lost track of, a judge has ruled. The decision has roiled the defense bar in Las Cruces. Although attorney Lindsay McDonell-Benatar originally got the video in discovery…

Aug 17, 2015 12:15 PM CDT

Ex-judge accused of accepting bribes from lawyer takes plea; expected to get 2 years in prison

A former Texas judge accused of taking bribes from a San Antonio lawyer pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to an honest services wire fraud charge. Angus Kelly McGinty, 51, had initially faced multiple counts when he was first indicted concerning his conduct on the Bexar…

Apr 13, 2015 4:00 PM CDT

New Mexico law ends civil forfeiture, bolsters innocent owner defense in criminal cases

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has signed a bill ending civil forfeiture of assets valued at less than $50,000 in the state. Martinez said (PDF) she endorsed provisions in the bill improving the forfeiture process, though she disagreed with those who termed the process “policing for profit,” the Albuquerque Journal…

Apr 13, 2015 10:59 AM CDT

Homeowner’s ‘electromagnetic hypersensitivity’ suit against neighbor fails on appeal

A homeowner who claimed he suffered “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” as a result of his neighbor’s cellphone and Wi-Fi has lost an appeal. A trial court had tossed the $1.43 million suit filed in 2010 by Arthur Firstenberg, and the New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld the decision in a March 5…

Mar 26, 2015 5:50 AM CDT

Jury convicts PI client who, angry over $115 medical bill, physically attacked law firm employee

A former client of a New Mexico personal injury law firm was convicted Thursday of aggravated battery with great bodily harm in a 2013 attack on an employee there. Although there were no visible injuries to the victim, Lovett Law Firm worker Jeffery Reyes, the Doña Ana County district attorney’s…

Jan 30, 2015 12:00 PM CST