Pilot project to house families sees success, but its future is uncertain
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Over three years the program has prevented dozens of kids from ending up in foster care. Continue Reading
Bill would authorize panel to investigate child abuse deaths
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The team would be tasked with evaluating investigations of a child’s death, as well as examining how agencies and individuals responded to concerns about the child before the slaying. Continue Reading
Governor signs two bills; line-item veto angers lawmaker
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Martinez left a new $1.5 million appropriation for preventing child abuse in place, but she wiped out the Legislature’s intent that the money be spent specifically on home-visiting services. Continue Reading
Grieving, then moving into action, after Victoria’s death
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What our children need from us is honest self-reflection, individually and collectively. Continue Reading
Too many child deaths, too little progress
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Where are we failing our state’s children? What are we missing? Continue Reading
Martinez is up to the task of fixing CYFD
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Gov. Susana Martinez has the authority, passion, knowledge and experience to fix problems at CYFD. Change will come too late for 3-year-old Leland Valdez, who died last week, but let’s hope Martinez is able to make changes that help prevent such deaths in the future. Continue Reading
The truth about the Baby Brianna bill
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State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia recently accused Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez of misrepresenting her role in the passage of a bill that resulted in tougher penalties for child abuse resulting in death. But the reality is that it’s Garcia – not Martinez – who is misrepresenting the facts. Continue Reading
When will senseless child abuse end?
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The public and I have had enough with innocent children dying from criminal child abuse. I am calling for the state, law enforcement, local government, municipalities, nonprofits, and everyone in the community to work together to use all available resources to combat this problem. Continue Reading
Convictions reinstated in Baby Brianna’s death
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The New Mexico Supreme Court today reinstated the convictions, on all but one count, of the father and uncle of Baby Brianna, the 5-month-old girl whose 2002 death shocked the Las Cruces community and led to tougher state penalties for child killers. The court today reinstated all but one conspiracy charge against each for the rape and killing of the girl, District Attorney Susana Martinez confirmed. She said her office and the attorney general had not yet read the opinion, so she didn’t have details. “All I can say is, thank God that we don’t have to do this again,” Martinez said, referring to her intent to retry the case if the convictions were not reinstated. The decision comes two months after the court reinstated the conviction of Brianna’s mother Stephanie Lopez. Continue Reading
One conviction reinstated in Baby Brianna’s death
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The New Mexico Supreme Court today reinstated the conviction of the mother of Baby Brianna, the 5-month-old girl whose 2002 death shocked the Las Cruces community and led to tougher state penalties for child killers. The decision, which you can read by clicking here, was announced by the attorney general’s office. The court’s justices were unanimous in agreeing that Stephanie Lopez’s rights were violated, but split 3-2 on whether the error was harmless, with Justices Petra Maes, Pamela Minzer and Patricio Serna saying the error was harmless and reinstating the conviction. The convictions of Brianna’s mother Stephanie Lopez, father Andy Walters and Uncle Steven Lopez were overturned by the Court of Appeals in 2006. That court found that their right to confront and cross examine their accusers had been violated because they were tried together. Continue Reading