BREAKING NEWS: Wingenroth named magistrate

Gov. Bill Richardson has appointed Democrat Kent Wingenroth to replace Carlos Garza on the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court.

Richardson made the announcement earlier today that he has appointed Wingenroth, a retired New Mexico State Police officer, to the bench.

“It’s a pretty big honor,” Wingenroth said, adding that he was full of “excitement about being appointed and excitement about working with the people again, like I did as a state police officer.”

Wingenroth has lived in Doña Ana County since 1981 and holds a criminal justice degree from York College in York, Penn. He is a 1981 graduate of the New Mexico State Police Academy and retired as a senior patrol officer in 2001. He was awarded officer of the year honors by the state police three times.

Since 2002, Wingenroth has worked as a federal court security officer with AKAL Security.

“Kent Wingenroth’s commitment to the law and the people of Doña Ana County is unquestionable,” Richardson said in a news release. “Kent’s more than 20 years’ experience in law enforcement will give him the skills to make an excellent magistrate.”

Garza was removed from the bench last month by the New Mexico Supreme Court after the Judicial Standards Commission found that he had used illegal drugs and improperly involved himself the court issues of a woman with whom he had a personal relationship.