Former judge a finalist for CYFD job

Former District Judge Larry Ramirez is one of the finalists for administrator of the J. Paul Taylor Juvenile Justice Center west of Las Cruces.

The 36-bed, medium-security facility, run by the Children, Youth and Families Department, has been without an administrator since Angelo Vega resigned in June.

Ramirez was one of several applicants and has interviewed, sources tell me. An announcement on the new administrator is expected soon.

Ramirez resigned from the bench in June 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 been placed on judicial probation by the high court in November 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.

In addition, an investigation by the Administrative Office of the Courts found in 2004 that Ramirez engaged in sexual harassment and forced him to undergo counseling and training. Months later, a second investigation found that Ramirez had engaged in improper conduct in the courtroom, and he was reassigned away from the juvenile drug court.

Vega was also a controversial figure. He resigned for personal reasons after less than a year on the job. Vega was arrested in 2001 on stalking and harassment charges that were later dismissed. In 1996, as a sheriff’s deputy in Lincoln County, he was indicted for extortion and intimidating a witness. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment as part of a plea bargain.

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