Category Archives: News

Some criticism of Mora County’s ordinance banning oil and gas drilling

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on February 18, 2015

In the Weekly Standard, Joseph Bottum has written a story called “Fracking the Constitution: Secessionism on the Left,” which criticizes the Mora County ordinance banning oil and gas drilling. (Hat tip to Overlawyered). Among other things, the ordinance purports to deprive corporations … Continue reading →

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“Meet the New Mexico judge who sentences more people than any other”

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on February 18, 2015

Joe Palazzolo of the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog has this interesting post about Judge Robert C. Brack, a federal district court judge in Las Cruces, and reports that he has sentenced 6,708 criminal defendants over the past five years, … Continue reading →

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Cop-killer Michael Astorga’s convictions upheld by NM Supreme Court

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on February 17, 2015

In March 2006, Michael Astorga shot Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy James McGrane during a traffic stop. On Friday, in an opinion by Justice Chavez, the New Mexico Supreme Court rejected Astorga’s arguments on appeal and upheld his conviction for first-degree … Continue reading →

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Chief Justice Vigil: Judiciary Needs More Funding

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on February 13, 2015

Chief Justice Barbara Vigil has published this editorial in the UNM Daily Lobo, making the case for an increase in funding to the state judiciary. Among other things, she proposes creating two new judgeships in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, and … Continue reading →

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Does Ted Cruz’s legal work in New Mexico mean he’s a hypocrite? Nope.

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on February 12, 2015

Yesterday, David Corn of Mother Jones Magazine published the following article: “As a Lawyer, Ted Cruz Defended Huge Jury Awards. As a Politician, He Opposed Them.” The article describes Ted Cruz’s involvement in two New Mexico appellate cases while in private … Continue reading →

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NM Court of Appeals to decide whether “public trust” doctrine requires state to regulate greenhouse emissions

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on January 28, 2015

According to this report by Staci Matlock in the Santa Fe New Mexican, the Court of Appeals heard oral argument in a case brought by a teenager, Akilah Sanders-Reed, asking the Court to hold that the “public trust” doctrine requires … Continue reading →

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NM Court of Appeals holds oral argument in assisted suicide case

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on January 27, 2015

Yesterday afternoon, before a packed courtroom, the New Mexico Court of Appeals held oral argument in the assisted suicide case, Morris v. King. In no particular order, here are my impressions of the oral argument: 1.  The Attorney General’s office, represented by … Continue reading →

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Oral argument in New Mexico assisted suicide appeal to be heard on January 26

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on January 23, 2015

One of the more controversial cases pending before New Mexico’s appellate courts is Morris v. King (which will likely be renamed soon as Morris v. Balderas), which asks whether New Mexico’s statute banning physician-assisted suicide, NMSA 1978, section 30-2-4, violates the … Continue reading →

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Reies Lopez Tijerina, leader of the Tierra Amarilla courthouse raid, dies at 88

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on January 20, 2015

Reies Lopez Tijerina, the land grant advocate who led the infamous raid on the Tierra Amarilla courthouse in 1967, died yesterday at age 88. The Albuquerque Journal has this obituary, written by Colleen Heild and Thom Cole. If you would … Continue reading →

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NM Supreme Court affirms reappointment of judge who lost retention election

by Emil J. Kiehne Posted on January 20, 2015

According to this report in the Albuquerque Journal, on Friday the New Mexico Supreme Court rejected a petition to nullify Governor Martinez’s reappointment of Judge Albert Mitchell to a seat on the Tenth Judicial District Court. The Journal story says … Continue reading →

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