Albuquerque mayor says Richardson must oppose cockfighting if he wants to be president

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Albuquerque’s mayor says Gov. Bill Richardson must oppose cockfighting or he can’t be president of the United States. Mayor Martin Chávez told an animal welfare conference Monday that Richardson’s wishy-washy stance on the controversial practice might kill his chance at being elected president, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “You can’t be president of the United States if you think cockfighting is a good thing,” the Journal quoted Chávez as saying. It’s the second time the mayor has gone after his party’s leaders in recent days. About a week ago, he criticized Lt. Gov. Diane Denish after her driver parked illegally in Albuquerque. Continue Reading

ACLU sues NMSU, alleges religious discrimination by football coach against Muslim players

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The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against New Mexico State University Monday alleging that head football coach Hal Mumme discriminated against three former players because they are Muslim. The lawsuit didn’t come as a surprise. After the allegations surfaced last year, the ACLU said it was preparing a lawsuit. But the news came three days before the Aggie season opener and became, for a time, the top college football story in the nation. Peter Simonson, executive director of the New Mexico chapter of the ACLU, told the Las Cruces Sun-News the season’s start had nothing to do with the timing of the lawsuit, adding that anyone who believes so “is seriously overestimating the sports sense in the office. Continue Reading

Embattled auditor candidate gets cold shoulder at fundraiser in Las Cruces

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Jeff Armijo, the embattled Democratic candidate for state auditor, was given a cold shoulder by members of his party at a fundraiser in Las Cruces today, and Gov. Bill Richardson plans to discuss with him whether he should resign. Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Armijo made unwanted sexual advances toward a campaign volunteer. The 21-year-old woman reported to police on Aug. 3 that she had been at Armijo’s home doing volunteer work for his campaign. The two were at a computer, she said, when Armijo grabbed her and kissed her repeatedly, though she told him they should not be kissing. Continue Reading

Richardson is off to Boston in a couple of weeks

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Gov. Bill Richardson will be heading to Boston in about three weeks to help raise money for the Democrats’ candidate for Massachusetts governor. It’s part of the party’s effort to raise $3 million for the election. Richardson will be in Boston the week after the state’s Sept. 19 primary, according to an article in the Boston Globe. Richardson is one of many high-profile politicos helping out in that state, including the wives of the state’s two senators and former President Bill Clinton, the Globe is reporting. Continue Reading

Carmen Garza sworn in as a federal magistrate

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The news isn’t all bad for the Garza family. Carmen Garza, the older sister of embattled Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza, was sworn in late last week as a federal magistrate judge in Las Cruces. Carmen Garza is a competent and respected attorney. She was selected for the judgeship several months ago, but had to go through a vetting process before she could be sworn in. That was completed last week. Continue Reading

Garza vows to fight, says he’s acting erratic and paranoid because ‘people are out to get me’

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Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza says he has been acting “erratic” and “paranoid” lately not because he is using drugs but because “people are out to get me without reason.” Garza called me Saturday to respond at length to a host of allegations that threaten his future as a judge. He spoke quickly, saying his telephone battery might die, and did not allow questions. The Judicial Standards Commission has asked the New Mexico Supreme Court to immediately suspend Garza without pay, force him to undergo urine and hair tests for illegal drugs, and explain why he should not be held in contempt for refusing the commission’s previous demand for the tests, which were sought because of allegations that Garza is using drugs. The court has not yet responded. Garza is already on suspension with pay until Nov. Continue Reading

Poll: Garrison has edge in sheriff race

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The race for Doña Ana County sheriff is a close one. 368 people voted in last week’s poll on this blog that asked whether Democrat Ralph Misquez or Republican Todd Garrison would win the race. That’s about three times the number of people who usually vote in the polls. Incumbent Garrison received 197 votes, or 54 percent. Misquez received 171 votes, or 46 percent. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: Auditor candidate accused of making unwanted sexual advances

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Prosecutors are investigating allegations that the Democratic candidate for state auditor made unwanted sexual advances toward a campaign volunteer. No charges have been filed, and prosecutors say a review could take months. Political blogger Joe Monahan first reported earlier this week that a problem related to a “personal relationship” could force Jeff Armijo to quit the race for state auditor, but Monahan didn’t report specifics. In a Wednesday e-mail, Armijo told me he did not want to comment on “the rumors perpetuated by Mr. Monahan” and said no Democrats had asked him to resign, contrary to Monahan’s report. An article today in the Albuquerque Tribune reveals that these aren’t rumors at all. Continue Reading

Court denies Vigil change of venue request

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It looks like the retrial of former state Treasurer Robert Vigil will proceed as planned beginning Sept. 5. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver denied Friday a motion by the defense to move the trial out of the state, according to the Associated Press. “It looks like the trial is going forward a week from Tuesday,” Vigil’s attorney, Sam Bregman, told the news service. “We are hopeful we can empanel a fair and impartial jury to ensure Robert Vigil gets a fair trial.” Bregman had argued that pretrial publicity and campaign advertisements in the nasty race between U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson and Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid, which have focused on public corruption, tainted the entire state. Continue Reading

Public filing reveals details of other investigations into allegations of misconduct by Garza

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Public records related to the investigation into allegations that Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza is using drugs also reveal some previously secret details of separate probes into other alleged misconduct by Garza. The July 20 affidavit of Nicole Gonzales, included Wednesday in a public filing with the New Mexico Supreme Court, deals with the publicly known investigation into allegations that Garza is using drugs, but is also listed as relating to two of five other investigations of alleged misconduct by Garza. Those five investigations were justification for the high court’s decision earlier this month to suspend Garza with pay until Nov. 3 while the Judicial Standards Commission investigates. But the high court sealed the file in that case, so details weren’t previously known. Continue Reading

Garza lashes out at Judicial Standards Commission

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Suspended Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza lashed out Thursday at the board that is investigating allegations that he’s using drugs. The Judicial Standards Commission filed a request Wednesday that the New Mexico Supreme Court immediately suspend Garza without pay, force him to undergo urine and hair tests for illegal drugs, and explain why he should not be held in contempt for refusing the commission’s previous demand for the tests. In comments published in the Las Cruces Sun-News this morning, Garza said he’s getting a raw deal. “This time I am fighting it,” Garza told the newspaper. “This is a very serious matter. Continue Reading

Macias looking forward to ‘a great challenge’

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Fernando Macias says “a tremendous outpouring of support for the candidacy” helped convince Gov. Bill Richardson to appoint him a district judge. “A strong base of support statewide… lent credibility to my application,” the former state senator said. In appointing Macias to the children’s court, Richardson opted for the politically risky choice, but, Richardson supporters tell me, he believed Macias would make a better judge. Bernadette Sedillo was the politically safer candidate and had many supporters in this community. Many others didn’t support her simply because they weren’t impressed by her experience and interviews. Continue Reading

Here are documents included in Garza filing

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I’ve uploaded some of the documents in the case of Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza that were filed Wednesday with the New Mexico Supreme Court. Here they are: Petition for immediate suspension, etc.Page 1 • Page 2 • Page 3 • Page 4Page 5 • Page 6 • Page 7 • Page 8 Affidavit of Nicole GonzalesPage 1 • Page 2 • Page 3 Affidavit of Melinda GamboaPage 1 • Page 2 • Page 3 Letter from Magistrate Advisory CommitteePage 1 • Page 2 Continue Reading