New Mexico Ex-Tax Secretary Delays Plea In Corruption Case
The former head of New Mexico's Taxation and Revenue Department has been arraigned in court on embezzlement and corruption charges related to her time in office without entering a plea.
Demesia Padilla appeared in court Friday to face felony counts of embezzlement, computer access with intent to defraud and engaging in an official act for personal gain, along with five misdemeanor charges linked to ethics violations.
Defense attorney Paul Kennedy said a plea was not appropriate without a showing of probably cause. Padilla was released pending evidentiary hearings in October.
Padilla resigned in 2016 after state investigators raided tax department offices. The office of Attorney General Hector Balderas alleges that Padilla advocated as tax secretary for abatement of a tax penalty against a former client of her accounting firm.
Pilot Tours Offer Glimpse Of Atomic Bomb Development Sites
U.S. nuclear security officials have partnered with the National Park Service to offer pilot tours of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in New Mexico.
The once-secret city of Los Alamos was among the World War II sites where the U.S. developed the first atomic bomb. The historical park was established in 2015 to preserve portions of the sites.
About 100 people went on the tours Thursday and Friday as part of the Los Alamos ScienceFest, and officials say they're looking forward to planning the next tour.
The Manhattan Project park at Los Alamos has a number of buildings located in areas that are off limits to the public.
Officials say the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Park Service and Los Alamos National Laboratory will continue to evaluate opportunities to host public tours of the historic sites.
No Applicants For Judicial Opening So Deadline Is Reset
The state court system's first attempt to recruit potential replacements for a retiring District Court judge in northeastern New Mexico didn't work so the court is trying again.
The Las Vegas Optic reports that the Judicial Selection Office has reset the deadline for submissions of applications to replace Fourth Judicial District Judge Matt Sandoval to Aug. 2 because no applications were received by the initial deadline of July 5.
Sandoval is officially retiring Aug. 1, though he hasn't heard any cases since taking a leave of absence due to health concerns last November.
The Las Vegas-based Fourth Judicial District includes Guadalupe, Mora and San Miguel counties and has two other judges.
The Judicial Nominating Committee will meet Aug. 27 in Las Vegas to evaluate the applicants for the position.
Illinois Meat Supplier To Bring 1,200 Jobs To Sunland Park
An Illinois meat supplier has chosen New Mexico for its first out-of-state expansion, bringing more than 1,200 jobs to a border community.
Stampede Meat and Sunland Park city officials touted the expansion Friday, saying it will make the protein processing company one of the biggest manufacturers in the state.
Stampede says it is investing more than $36 million to take over a facility previously occupied by Tyson Foods.
Since Tyson left in 2015, city economic developers have been trying to remarket the site.
Gov. Susana Martinez says the expansion will "bring new life and new jobs" to the community.
Based in Bridgeview, Stampede Meat started as a steak supplier in 1995.
The company supplies various prepared meats as well as vegan alternatives to restaurants, food service distributors and other outlets.
Judge: Lawsuit Over Federal Nuke Lab Cleanup Can Go Forward
A federal judge is allowing part of a watchdog group's lawsuit over cleanup efforts by Los Alamos National Laboratory to move ahead.
The court has denied a motion by Los Alamos National Security LLC and U.S. Energy Department, a co-defendant, to dismiss Nuclear Watch New Mexico's claims for civil penalties.
In court documents filed Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Judith Herrera said both agencies failed to prove violations won't happen again.
Herrera did, however, drop part of the complaint asking for injunctive relief.
A spokesman for the laboratory declined to comment Friday.
NukeWatch first filed a complaint in May 2016.
The group says the defendants committed 13 violations when fulfilling a 2005 cleanup agreement with state officials.
The New Mexico Environment Department had argued a new agreement made in 2016 invalidated the 2005 one, making the lawsuit moot.