State Faces Huge Backlog Of Untested Rape Kits – Albuquerque Journal
There are more than 5,300 untested rape kits in police department evidence rooms across the state, some dating back to the 1980s.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Department of Public Safety sent letters to law enforcement agencies around the state asking about the number of untested rape kits and officials were surprised at the extent of the backlog.
The Albuquerque Police Department alone had more than 3,400 untested kits. These provide key evidence in cases, especially if the assailant is unknown or if an alleged assailant denies there was sexual contact.
The information can also be checked against other assaults across the country via a national database. DNA evidence was key in convicting a serial rapist known as Ether Man. Officials say it will take years and millions of dollars in additional funding to clear the backlog.
The New Mexico Political Report reported last month that several candidates for second judicial district attorney said they want to address the backlog, and that State Auditor Tim Keller is also working on a plan to solve the issue.
Weather Notices Blanket Virtually All Of New Mexico – The Associated Press
Nearly all of New Mexico is blanketed by warnings and advisories about wintry weather conditions of one sort or another as a storm system moves into the state.
The National Weather Service says New Mexico will see warmer, drier and calmer weather by the end of the week but that there will be snow, high wind and other blustery conditions in the meantime.
Forecasters say the various warnings and advisories are a result of what forecasters call a "stout low-pressure system" moving into northwestern New Mexico.
The weather service's notices include a winter storm warning for much of northern New Mexico. A high-wind advisory covers much of western New Mexico.
Significant accumulation of snow and dangerous driving conditions are expected in mountain areas in the north into Tuesday morning.
Witness Statements Suggest Shooting Of Officer Premeditated – The Associated Press
A 17-year-old girl who was with the ex-convict accused of shooting an Albuquerque police officer at the time of the incident says the suspect told her he was going to "do something he would regret" as he was pulled over.
Officer Daniel Webster died of injuries suffered when he was shot during a traffic stop on Oct. 21. Davon Lymon, the 34-year-old suspect, is in federal custody and faces one charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm after police found a gun near the shooting scene.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that newly filed court records include witness statements from the teen. She says Lymon had helped her purchase some heroin and was taking her on the back of a motorcycle to purchase a drink when he was pulled over.
ACLU New Mexico Unveils Mobile App To Record Authorities – Las Cruces Sun-News, Associated Press
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is launching a mobile app for people to report improper encounters with law enforcement agencies.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that the ACLU of New Mexico late last week unveiled the Mobile Justice New Mexico app, which will allow anyone to file reports of misconduct by local police or U.S. Border Patrol agents.
The app has four functions including recording incidents, alerting nearby users when an incident is being recorded near them and guidance on their rights when documenting law enforcement with their cellphones.
ACLU officials say the app is available for free in both English and Spanish for iPhones and Android phones.
ACLU branches in nine other states and Washington, D.C., also released versions of the app.
Lawsuit Calls Supreme Court Appointment Unconstitutional – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
A lawsuit is disputing the appointment of District Court Judge Judith Nakamura of Albuquerque to fill a vacancy on the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Former attorney Stuart Stein, of La Cienega, says her selection is unconstitutional and that the process was illegally rushed.
Nakamura declined to comment on the litigation Friday but told the Santa Fe New Mexican that she followed the process "to the T."
Gov. Susana Martinez chose Nakamura, a former chief judge in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Richard Bosson.
Stein argues starting the process before Bosson's last day in office violated the state constitution.
Barry Massey, a spokesman for Administrative Office of the Courts, says there is no case law that outlines what qualifies as an actual vacancy.
New Mexico Post Offices Overwhelmed With Passport Requests – KOAT-TV, Associated Press
New Mexico residents are rushing to get passports before driver's licenses are no longer accepted at federal facilities next year.
The U.S. Postal Service tells KOAT-TV that the earliest available appointment to apply for a passport at an Albuquerque post office is Feb. 4.
USPS officials say hundreds of residents have made appointments since October.
A passport fair this weekend hosted by the Postal Service to help people sign up is already full.
USPS spokesman Peter Hass says there will likely be more.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently denied New Mexico an extension from tougher federal requirements on state driver's licenses under the REAL ID Act.
New Mexico driver's licenses and IDs won't be valid for federal purposes such as entering military bases starting Jan. 10.
Lobo Forward Devon Williams Suffers Neck Injury – Associated Press
New Mexico basketball officials say forward Devon Williams suffered a neck injury during the Lobos' game against New Mexico State.
Williams was taken to a hospital Sunday night after he collapsed midway during the second half, and New Mexico coach Craig Neal later said the player has a neck injury.
New Mexico athletics spokesman Eugene Canal said Williams had feeling in all his extremities and was up walking.
Canal said William was kept at the hospital overnight for observation.
New Mexico beat New Mexico State 83-74.
Senators Seek Education Reforms For Native American Students – Associated Press
New Mexico's two senators are among those pushing to protect education reforms and provisions aimed at benefiting tribes and Native American students.
Two key congressional committees are working on a final agreement that blends House and Senate versions of a bill that will update the nation's education law.
Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich were among a group of lawmakers who sent a letter to committee leaders this week.
The lawmakers said Native American students have become some of the nation's most disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
They say requiring consultation with tribes, states and school districts and strengthening tribal self-determination could help close the achievement gap and better prepare Native American students for college or careers.
They also called for support of those schools that teach in Native languages.
American Airlines May Offer Daily Phoenix-Roswell Route – Roswell Daily Record, Associated Press
American Airlines flights between Roswell, New Mexico and Phoenix, Arizona would start March 3 under an agreement that took three years to draft.
The Roswell Daily Record reports Roswell council members will decide Wednesday whether to give the city manager authority to enter into the agreement with American Airlines.
The agreement establishes nonstop, daily commercial flights while guaranteeing the airline's minimum revenue at $1.2 million if expenses exceed passenger service. Local governments and a U.S. Department of Transportation grant would fund the revenue guarantee.
Roswell's mayor and other city officials expect the flights to promote economic growth in the southeast New Mexico region and help expand access to destinations for business and leisure.
Santa Fe Mayor Pushes For City Film Commission – Associated Press
The mayor of Santa Fe is asking for $50,000 to establish a city film commission that would work to lure big-budget productions and nurture independent filmmakers.
Mayor Javier Gonzales outlined plans before the Santa Fe City Council this week to create a 16-member commission.
Gonzales says the panel would be charged with bolstering the city's reputation as a filmmaking destination.
Commissioners would also lobby the state Legislature to get rid of a $50 million cap on state incentives for film companies.
Gonzales made his announcement from the set of the TV series "Longmire," which uses the Greer Garson Studio at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
The mayor says he hopes to get the proposal approved by the City Council at a Dec. 9 meeting.
NMMI Football Player Sentenced In Attack On Fellow Player – Roswell Daily Record, Associated Press
A New Mexico Military Institute football player has pleaded no contest to assaulting a fellow cadet.
The Roswell Daily Record reports that 18-year-old Molia Tago entered the plea to a misdemeanor battery charge in Chaves County Magistrate Court on Friday.
The judge sentenced Tago, who is from Pago Pago, American Samoa and attending NMMI on scholarship, to 182 days in jail.
All but two days of the sentence were suspended.
Tago will serve the rest of his time under supervised probation.
Tago is accused of attacking another player in the locker room after the victim put Tago in a hold during practice.
The victim says the assault resulted in a deviated septum and him withdrawing from school.
The military school declined to comment on the case.