Hundreds gathered Monday, March 2, on what would have been his birthday at the Rio Rancho Event Center to honor Sgt. Michael Barrett Schlattman, a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputy, died in the line of duty on Feb. 23 at age 52. Schlattman joined BCSO in 2012 and was promoted to sergeant in July […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
New Mexico Chief Justice: Supreme Court offers a civics program for students
By Chief Justice David K. Thomson, New Mexico Supreme Court — The Supreme Court of New Mexico launched a program in 2021 to help young people learn about our system of justice and the role of courts in resolving legal disputes. The concept of the Rule of Law Program was straightforward: We learn by observation. […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, East Mountains, Route 66 Independent
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop in East Mountains
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Rio Rancho, The 528 Rio Rancho
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop to be held in Rio Rancho
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Education, Local Government, Sandoval Signpost, Town of Bernalillo
Lawsuit alleges Bernalillo teacher abused student, district ignored prior warnings
A lawsuit filed in New Mexico’s Thirteenth Judicial District Court alleges a 5th-grade teacher at Bernalillo Elementary School subjected a 10-year-old student to months of physical abuse and racist verbal attacks while school officials ignored a history of prior complaints against her. The complaint, filed under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act and the Tort […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, New Mexico Statewide News, NM Political Report
Supreme Court removes New Mexico judge from the bench
The New Mexico Supreme Court ordered a McKinley County magistrate judge off the bench this week, ending a months-long saga between the judge and the state’s Judicial Standards Commission which had sought his removal for abuses of authority in office. The commission’s recommendation for removal stems from what it described as a “pattern and practice” […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Rio Rancho, The 528 Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho’s Citizens’ Police Academy pulls back the curtain on police work
Eleven weeks. One night a week. And for many participants, a completely changed perspective on the people who patrol their streets. The Rio Rancho Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy is currently underway, with roughly two dozen residents getting an inside look at how one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing cities keeps itself safe. The program, which […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Rio Rancho, The 528 Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho police, fire departments report mixed results in 2025
Rio Rancho’s police and fire departments handled tens of thousands of calls in 2025, with new data showing faster fire response times but a notable rise in structure fires and a wide spread in police response times depending on call urgency. The Rio Rancho Police Department received 66,232 total calls for service between Jan. 1 […]
Posted inRoute 66 Independent
BCSO Sergeant fatally struck during traffic stop in East Mountains: Investigation underway
By Jesse Jones — A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant was killed Monday evening after a tractor-trailer crashed into his patrol unit during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near the East Mountains, Sheriff John Allen announced Monday night. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, called in the stop just […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Gary King campaigned on prosecuting child sex offenders – while courting Epstein at lunch and accepting donations through companies designed to avoid “press coverage” for King
By Pat Davis, Julian Paras, NM Political Report — The Epstein files revealed lots of new details about people and places connected to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — including former attorney general and candidate for governor, Gary King. When reporting from New Mexico Political Report and others showed that King used a jet arranged […]