Murphy, shown here interviewing in 2006 for the judgeship he currently holds. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
The pending investigation into allegations of bribery against Third Judicial District Judge Mike Murphy is the latest scandal involving a judge in Doña Ana County, which has been plagued by judicial scandal for years.
In 2006, NMPolitics.net took an in-depth look at the scandals and the system that polices judges’ behavior. You can read that special report here.
At the time of that special report, several judges had resigned from the bench or been disciplined amid scandals that included alleged drug use, sexual harassment, rape allegations (on which the judge was later acquitted), and improper involvement in a family member’s case.
For example, the judge who Murphy replaced on the district court, Larry Ramirez, resigned in 2006 during a Judicial Standards Commission investigation into allegations that he engaged in an ongoing pattern of sexual harassment and making inappropriate comments in the courtroom.
Ramirez had previously been disciplined by the Supreme Court after admitting to improperly involving himself in is son’s alcohol-citation case and inappropriately refusing to let a defense attorney make an objection for the record.
Since NMPolitics.net’s special report in 2006, there have been fewer scandals involving Doña Ana County judges, but there have still been some high-profile problems:
- A Sunland Park municipal judge, Horacio Favela, was sentenced to probation in 2009 for fraudulently voting and registering as a candidate for judge. After being suspended by the Supreme Court, he agreed to resign and never again seek a judgeship in New Mexico.
- Joseph Guillory resigned from his magistrate judge position last year after being suspended over a host of problems with the way he conducted himself at the court. Among the Supreme Court’s findings was that Guillory “abused the contempt power,” engaged in ex parte communications, and “failed, refused or was unable to perform his judicial duties.”
- Last month, Appeals Court Judge Robert E. Robles, who was a district judge in Las Cruces for more than 17 years before being appointed to the higher court in 2008, pleaded guilty to DWI. He’s on suspension and awaiting further action by the Judicial Standards Commission and Supreme Court.