Patrick Ethridge, the Albuquerque Journal’s top editor, resigned his position Thursday afternoon a few hours after a Rio Rancho Municipal Court judge approved his release from custody.
Rio Rancho Municipal Court Judge Michael Gibson granted Ethridge’s early release Thursday morning after Ehtridge withdrew a previously entered guilty plea and pleaded no contest.
Gibson originally sentenced Ethridge to 10 days in the Sandoval County Detention Center on Sept. 25 after Ethridge pleaded guilty to misdemeanor shoplifting, according to court documents. Ehtridge was scheduled to be released Oct. 5.
The Journal announced Sept. 27 that the 47-year-old Ethridge had been placed on “a mandatory leave of absence.”
According to an incident report from the Rio Rancho Police Department, two officers responded Aug. 24 to a shoplifting call from Walmart staff. The police report said two young boys were “reportedly acting disorderly around the store, knocking over displays and concealing items.” Police said they identified the boys as Ethridge’s sons.
According to court documents, the boys were seen each taking an energy drink off the shelf, drinking it, then placing it back on the shelf. The boys “were not in possession of any merchandise” when approached by police, but surveillance footage showed Ethridge “skip scanning items” while in the self-checkout, according to court documents.
The report said Ethridge would “scan some items but not others, leaving several items unpaid for.” The total amount of merchandise that was not paid for, including the energy drinks, was $104.20, according to police.
All three were also issued a criminal trespass notice/order not to return, RRPD documents show.
As part of Ethridge’s guilty plea, he was sentenced to serve 90 days in the detention center, with 80 days suspended. Ethridge was not represented by an attorney when he appeared in court, documents show.
However, a day later, Todd Bullion entered an appearance and filed a motion acting as Ethridge’s attorney to withdraw the guilty plea and release Ethridge from custody.
According to the motion, Ethridge rang up “approximately $300 of groceries” in the self-checkout line, but became distracted by his sons, who had been approached by a police officer.
“Dismayed and concerned that his children were in trouble, Mr. Ethridge left the self-checkout line and went to his children,” the motion reads. “Following interaction with law enforcement, Mr. Ethridge paid for his groceries and left the store.”
According to the motion, Ethridge was then informed that he had not scanned or paid for all of his items. He said he did not know that some items were not scanned and asked to pay for them. “The store refused and pressed charges of shoplifting.”
The motion said that Ethridge, “wanting to get this case over with as expeditiously as possible,” pleaded guilty. According to the motion, “Ethridge did this in spite of the fact that he did not intentionally steal any items from the store.”
The motion was denied by Gibson the same day it was filed.
Bullion again represented Ethridge, who sat quietly during the Oct. 3 hearing while wearing an orange jumpsuit. In a matter of minutes, Gibson approved Ethridge’s early release from jail with no objections from the City of Rio Rancho’s attorney.