The First Judicial District Court has announced a new program designed to divert people with severe mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into treatment services. The competency diversion pilot program will serve individuals charged with misdemeanors, excluding DWI and nonviolent felony offenses. It marks the fourth such initiative established by New Mexico […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Westside Albuquerque
Former Sandoval County detective sentenced to 6 years for child exploitation crimes
A former Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office detective was sentenced Friday to six years in prison after pleading no contest to charges related to child sexual exploitation material. Robert Strand, 42, was sentenced by Judge Christopher G. Perez in the 13th Judicial District Court on charges of possession of child sexual exploitation material and three counts […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Pueblos
New Mexico nonprofit leaders accused of $1.6 million Medicaid fraud
The director of a Silver City after-school nonprofit program and her daughter are under fire from the state for allegedly committing 91 counts of fraud and identity theft. According to state investigators, the crimes targeted both adults and children. The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) is bringing criminal charges against “Kids in Need of […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Courts, Justice & Safety
Albuquerque man pleads guilty to federal charge for online threats against Trump
A New Mexico man who was charged with making threats of violence against then-President-Elect Donald Trump on social media pleaded guilty Thursday. The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico announced in a press release that Tyler Leveque, 37, of Albuquerque, changed his initial not guilty plea to one count of […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Albuquerque asbestos firm faces hefty fines for health hazards
An Albuquerque asbestos removal company is facing more than $25,000 in penalties from the state for serious workplace safety violations. According to state records, inspectors recently discovered that the company, Asbestos Experts, failed to properly monitor workers’ exposure to asbestos and enforce safe work practices. Regulators allege that the company didn’t keep accurate records of […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Wrongful-death lawsuits: NM prison covered up deaths, allowed drugs to cu
Two new wrongful-death lawsuits accuse a New Mexico prison of systemic problems, including covering up evidence surrounding prisoner deaths, allowing drugs to circulate in the prison and even denying urgent medical care. The prison is owned and operated by Tennessee corporation CoreCivic, one of the largest private prison corporations in the U.S. with dozens of […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Equal Employment commission seeks court order to compel school district’s testimony in bias probe
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal court action Friday to enforce subpoenas against Gallup-McKinley County Schools, alleging the New Mexico district has refused to cooperate with an investigation into claims of discriminatory hiring practices against Native Americans. The EEOC said it issued two administrative subpoenas seeking testimony from high-level school administrators as […]
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Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to more ‘sanctuary cities,’ including Albuquerque, for now
Late Friday, a federal judge extended a block of the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze federal funding to more cities, including Albuquerque, that restrict law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration efforts. Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended an earlier preliminary injunction barring the federal government from withholding funds or conditioning federal funding on having […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Westside Albuquerque
RRPS keeping guns away through manpower and technology
Rio Rancho Public Schools uses a vigilant security team and technology to prevent students bringing firearms to campus, a district spokesperson says. Wyndham Kemsley told the Sandoval Signpost no firearms have been found on campus this school year. Last year, he said, the only such incident occurred when staff investigating another matter found a weapon […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Town of Bernalillo
Bernalillo schools to require clear backpacks
Transparency isn’t just for governments anymore. Bernalillo Public Schools has announced a clear backpack policy for students in Grades 4 through 12. Thomas Maes, Jr., the district’s director of safety and security, sent a letter to families explaining the policy. “Clear backpacks are part of a layered approach to safety and security that includes strategies […]