Courts

FBI: Wanted Justin Aguino For Pretrial Release Violation

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FBI News:

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Justin Aguino.

On Feb. 26, 2020, Justin Aguino allegedly used his position as an officer with the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department in New Mexico, to impede a federal grand jury investigation by disclosing information about an ongoing investigation being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration to an individual outside of the investigation.

Then, on May 24, 2022, while working for the Pojoaque Police Department in New Mexico, Aguino was confronted by Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Hosts Judicial Clerkship Workshops For Native American Law Students

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Students, justices, judges and appellate court law clerks at the New Mexico Supreme Court Building for the Pre-Law Summer Institute’s Judicial Clerkship Program. Courtesy/NMSC

NMSC News:

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Supreme Court (NMSC) partnered with the Pre-Law Summer Institute’s Judicial Clerkship Committee (PLSI JCC) to bring 22 law students to New Mexico for workshops focused on increasing judicial clerkship opportunities for Native Americans. Each law student who attended is a citizen, shareholder, descendant, or member of a tribal nation.

“A just legal system should reflect and Read More

New Mexico Court Of Appeals Celebrates Milestone By Judge J. Miles Hanisee Who Has Written 1,000 Opinions

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Court of Appeals Judge J. Miles Hanisee holds a gift from his law clerks displaying the names of the 1,000 court cases in which he wrote the opinions. From left, Kara Shair-Rosenfield (former clerk), Court of Appeals Judge Kristopher Houghton (former clerk), Walker Boyd (former clerk), Judge Hanisee, Mary Helen Pavlides (clerk), Breanne Potter (clerk), Graciela Esquivel (former clerk), and Oliver Stephanz (former clerk). Courtesy/NMSC

NMSC News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The state Court of Appeals honored Judge J. Miles Hanisee this week for his contributions to New Mexico law by writing 1,000 opinions Read More

FBI: Jury Finds Taos Man Guilty Of First-Degree Murder And All Other Charges Related To Brutal 2023 Pueblo Slaying

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Zebadiah Romero, 37, on all charges for the October 2023 premeditated murder of a Taos Pueblo man with a single gunshot to the back of his head. The verdict came after a weeklong trial and less than a day of deliberation.

According to evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 30, 2023, Romero, a non-Indian, shot and killed John Doe, an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, inside John Doe’s residence on the Taos Pueblo.

Romero had been evicted and banned from the Taos Pueblo before the murder. John Doe was discovered Nov. 4, 2023, after Read More

Administrative Office Of The Courts Announces Behavioral Health Regional Planning Leaders, Statewide Listening Sessions, And E-SIM Workshops

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Courtesy/NMAOC

NMAOC News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) today announced significant progress in the implementation of Senate Bill 3 (SB3), the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act (BHRIA). Organizations that will lead the regional planning—called Accountable Entities—have been identified, statewide listening sessions are set to begin, and the first E-SIM (Enhanced Sequential Intercept Mapping) workshop will take place next week.

“We are excited to see the SB3 infrastructure taking shape across every region,” said Administrative Office Read More

Op-Ed: Veterans Fought For Justice Abroad. We Deserve It At Home.

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By MIKE DOYLE
U.S. Air Force Veteran and Trial Attorney
Los Lunas

Every veteran knows that service doesn’t end when you take off the uniform. As a U.S. Air Force veteran and a trial attorney, I’ve fought two battles — one wearing a uniform and one in a courtroom. The first taught me discipline and sacrifice. The second has shown me how easily justice slips away from the people who risked everything to defend it.

A study from the Center for Justice & Democracy, “The Costs and Legal Obstacles Facing America’s Service Members and Veterans,” outlines how service members and veterans face staggering Read More

FBI: Federal Authorities Charge Las Cruces Man After Over 70 Retail Assaults And Thefts Spark Local Outcry

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A Las Cruces man with a lengthy history of retail thefts and assaults was federally charged under the Hobbs Act after the Las Cruces Police Department publicly condemned the state judicial system for failing to prosecute more than 70 offenses allegedly committed by the defendant since 2022.

According to court documents, between November 2022 and April 2025, Neal Wesley Garcia, 43, allegedly committed multiple robberies and assaults at retail stores throughout Las Cruces. Garcia’s offenses involved violence or threats against employees when they attempted to prevent Read More

New Mexico State Police Arrest Suspect Wanted For Homicide In Illinois

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NMSP News:

QUAY COUNTY – On Nov. 4, 2025, at approximately 5 p.m., a New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officer was patrolling in Quay County when he was alerted by NMSP dispatch of a License Plate Reader (LPR) hit. The alert indicated a stolen vehicle from Illinois was traveling westbound on Interstate 40 near milepost 342. The vehicle was also connected to an ongoing homicide investigation being conducted by the Cicero Police Department in Illinois.

The NMSP officer located the vehicle and conducted a felony traffic stop on I-40 near milepost 345. The vehicle was occupied by two males, one being Read More