Bill Requires Navajo Chief Justice To Have Law Degree –The Associated Press
The head of the Navajo Nation's judicial branch now is required to have a law degree.
Tribal President Russell Begaye approved a bill this week to make the switch from a law degree being preferred for the chief justice.
Begaye says the bill helps move the tribe toward fulfilling requirements of federal laws meant to bolster public safety on tribal lands. Tribes that have law-trained, licensed judges can lengthen and stack sentences under the Tribal Law and Order Act, and prosecute non-Natives for certain domestic-violence crimes under the Violence Against Women Act.
Acting Chief Justice Allen Sloan does not have a law degree.
Navajo Nation Council spokesman Jared Touchin says the new requirement applies only to those appointed and confirmed to the position.
The bill was sponsored by Dwight Witherspoon.
Appeals Court Upholds Ex-New Mexico Sheriff Conviction – The Associated Press
A federal appeals court in Denver has upheld the conviction of a former New Mexico sheriff accused of pulling a gun on a motorist and striking him with his badge.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit affirmed the civil rights violation conviction for ex-Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella in a ruling filed Wednesday.
Rodella was sentenced in January to 10 years in federal prison for abusing a driver in a bizarre, off-duty traffic stop that prosecutors described as a fit of road rage. He also was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine and $10,335 in restitution.
But his attorney, John Cline, had argued that improper jury instructions created an unfair trial.
Cline says the traffic stop was legal because the motorist was driving carelessly.
Lawsuit: New Mexico Police Arrested Wrong Man For DUI – The Associated Press
A New Mexico man says state police wrongly arrested him for driving under the influence because a trooper through he was a suspect who had the same name.
A lawyer for Blas Varela recently filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque in a case that accused New Mexico State Police of wrongful imprisonment.
According to court documents, Varela was arrested in September following a minor traffic stop in San Juan County. Court documents say the trooper told Varela he had an arrest warrant stemming from a 2000 case.
The lawsuit says Varela's birthday and social security number didn't match that of the suspect but the trooper arrested him anyway.
He was freed after four days in jail. Varela seeks an unspecified amount in damages. The New Mexico Attorney General's office did not immediately respond to an email.
National Lab Improves Policies After Device Goes Missing – The Associated Press
Officials at Sandia National Laboratories say they've revised procedures to ensure control and accountability of all radioactive materials and devices that are required to be tracked.
The move comes after a small device used to eliminate static went missing following an explosive handling activity. The device — about the size of a double A battery — contains a tiny amount of the radioactive element Polonium 210 but doesn't pose a health hazard.
The device was shipped back from the test site to the lab earlier this year, but the package appeared to be empty when it arrived. After a search, the lab declared it lost.
The U.S. Department of Energy sent an enforcement letter to the lab last week. The agency says it will monitor the lab's actions to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Youth Jail Closing After Review Of Assault Allegations – The Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal
A southern New Mexico juvenile detention center is closing in the wake of a male detainee's claim that a female staff therapist sexually assaulted him.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that state Children Youth and Families Department officials are taking steps to close the Lincoln Pines Youth Center near Ruidoso and find other jobs for its employees.
All of the youths detained at Lincoln Pines were moved to other facilities after the allegations.
CYFD spokesman Henry Varela says a review after the allegations found it didn't make financial sense to keep the center open.
The therapist accused in the incident is awaiting trial for sexual penetration in the second degree, distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, taking contraband into a juvenile correctional facility and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Lea County Seeking Housing Amid Pending Shortage – The Associated Press, The Hobbs News-Sun
Lea County and two cities in New Mexico's oil country want to attract more housing developers to help with the area's expected housing shortage.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports that Hobbs, Lovington and country officials are wrestling with different ideas on incentives for housing developers.
The incentive program for Hobbs, for example, reimburses developers for building market rate, multi-family and single-family housing projects
University of New Mexico researchers project the Lea County population at 75,855 by 2020, with a need for 1,500-2,000 more housing units.
They estimated 300-400 more homes in Lea County would be needed each year through 2020.
In August, the Hobbs City Commission entertained a proposal to cut the incentive program in half, but tabled the proposal pending further review.
Attendance Up At International Annual Balloon Fiesta – The Associated Press
Organizers of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta say more people attended this year's nine-day event than last year.
The number of visits this year was estimated at 955,703, up from 848,393 in 2014.
Officials couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for the increase, but said in a statement that new demonstrations such as a laser light show and good weather could have helped to boost the numbers.
Flying events launched successfully each morning during the fiesta.
However, conditions weren't favorable downfield for the launch of the long distance America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race and two evening balloon glows were canceled.
More than 550 balloon teams were registered for this year's fiesta, including 105 special shape balloons. Seventeen countries and 44 states were represented.
Gov. Martinez Travels To Texas For Tax Symposium – The Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez is making a quick trip to Texas to talk about tax reform and economics.
The governor will be speaking Wednesday at a symposium in Austin that's hosted by the Institute for Professionals in Taxation.
Her office says she'll discuss efforts to grow and diversify New Mexico's economy. Part of the focus will be on the state's tax and regulatory climate and how that has affected New Mexico's ability to compete when it comes to jobs and new investment.
Martinez also plans to attend two political fundraisers while in Austin.
She'll return to Santa Fe later Wednesday.
The trip is being paid for by the governor's political committee.
Mora School Chief Resigns Amid Fake Credential Probe – The Associated Press
An embattled northern New Mexico superintendent under fire for faking his credentials has resigned.
The Las Vegas Optic reports that Mora Independent School District superintendent Charles Trujillo recently submitted his resignation and it was approved by the school board.
Trujillo's resignation follows an investigation by the Optic that Trujillo faked his credentials to obtain his administrative license. Two days after the Optic story was published, Trujillo surrendered his education licenses to the state Public Education Department.
The Mora board had voted on Oct. 22 to place Trujillo on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the PED investigation. State Education Secretary Hanna Skandera later informed the district it was breaking the law by continuing to pay him.
Mora's high school graduation rate fall by 15 percentage points last year.
Officials Investigate After Escaped Inmate Recaptured – The Associated Press
New Mexico corrections officials are investigating how an inmate who escaped and was recaptured ended up at a minimum-security facility in the first place.
Ronald Martinez was arrested Monday in the Tome area after being reported missing from the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility Level One Farm earlier that day.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the 42-year-old convicted felon had spent 16 years in federal prison for two armed carjackings before racking up his current charges for forgery and vehicle theft.
Officials say it is unclear how Martinez was trusted in the "farm" area of the facility, where there are few security measures. For his escape, Martinez slipped out of his bed early Monday morning and wasn't noticed to be missing until 5 a.m.