Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza says he has decided not to quit and he took a drug test Wednesday in Albuquerque.
“I’ve decided I’m going to fight on as usual,” Garza told me. “I’m not going to let them beat me. … I taught my children not to be quitters, and I’m not going to quit myself.”
Garza said he expects the results of the hair test for illegal drugs in the next few days. He said he is concerned about paying his bills, now that he has been suspended without pay for at least the next 30 days.
“I’m kind of scared right now about my future,” Garza said. “I don’t know how I’m going to pay my house payment at this point.”
Garza said he’ll have to make limited use of his attorney.
“I’m going to be defending myself. My attorney’s going to be playing a limited role to the extent that I’m able to afford her.”
Garza said he is confident that the hair test will show no illegal drug use. He said he hopes to be treated fairly after that.
“I feel strongly that I have not been treated fairly (by the Judicial Standards Commission),” Garza said. “By me not quitting, I’m believing at some point that I’m going to be treated fairly – maybe when this suspicion of drug use passes.”
But there are several other outstanding investigations into allegations of misconduct, and the commission is set to conduct secret hearings on all of them on Oct. 10. Garza said he could not comment on those issues because the proceedings remain secret.
“I don’t want to defy any more rules or show that I don’t have respect for these organizations,” he said.
Noel said he can’t comment on the outstanding investigations.
“When I can speak publicly about it, I will,” he said.
For more on this topic, read the prior posting below.