New Mexico

Behind the scenes of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2024

Behind the scenes of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Metropolitan Court of Bernalillo County had another packed docket Saturday morning.

“We are the busiest courthouse in the state. We see more than every other courthouse does, from the traffic tickets to the misdemeanor cases and the initial felony cases that are filed here,” said Metropolitan Court Chief Judge Joshua Sanchez.

Sanchez says the court oversees about 100 cases a day and Saturday New Mexico’s top judge, Chief Justice David Thomson of the New Mexico Supreme Court, got a firsthand look at the court’s caseload.

Sanchez says he welcomes the visit.

“We go to these statewide meetings, and they hear about how things happen. But until you actually kind of sit there with another judge and see what happens, it’s kind of eye-opening to see the kind of controlled chaos that we have on a Saturday morning,” he said about the visit.

He adds their biggest challenge at Metro Court is the case load.

Thomson says he plans to visit courts statewide to see these challenges for himself.

“I think it’s a good idea just to come down and see it. And what you see, if you watch these, is you see all the interactions between what we face, just not as a court system, as a society, right?” said Sanchez.

Just from one morning sitting in on court proceedings, he said it’s clear mental health plays a huge part in a lot of the cases metro court hears.

“If there are questions of competency, we can catch those questions here, rather when they get transferred to felony court, that’s one, can they be assessed early on,” Thomson said.

He also noticed a lot of repeat offenders.

“I think it’s very helpful to see it firsthand. On a few of these individuals. I’ve actually asked to look at some of the criminal history, so I have an understanding of the particulars,” said Thomson.

Sanchez said he hopes for more visits like this in the future.

“It’s just nice to give some real perspective and validates, I think, a lot of the things that we do communicate to AOC and the Supreme Court and things that we’re seeing,” said Thomson.

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New Mexico

Republican New Mexico lawmakers convene public safety task force

Published

2 hours ago

December 1, 2025

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Republican New Mexico lawmakers convene public safety task force

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New Mexico

Cut your own tree in New Mexico with a $5 permit from BLM

Published

14 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Press Room

Cut your own tree in New Mexico with a permit from BLM

The Bureau of Land Management will begin selling Christmas tree permits in New Mexico on Nov. 24.

Permits will be available at the Farmington, Taos, Socorro and Rio Puerco field offices, as well as at the New Mexico State Office, according to a community announcement. The permits must be purchased before Dec. 24 and cost $5 per tree.

Permits and maps can be obtained over the counter at local BLM offices or, for some locations, online at https://forestproducts.blm.gov. If purchasing online, buyers must have access to a printer to print the permit and map.

When transporting a tree taken from BLM public land, the haul tag provided with the permit must be attached to the tree.

The BLM has developed georeferenced maps compatible with any georeferenced map mobile application. Those with a smartphone can download a map before heading out to harvest a tree by visiting the BLM website.

Before visiting a local BLM office to obtain a permit, it is recommended to call the office to confirm services and staff availability. The locations where permits may be available include:

Rio Puerco Field Office, 100 Sun Ave., NE, Suite 330, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-8700
Socorro Field Office, 901 S. Old U.S. Hwy 85, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-0412
New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508, (505) 954-2000
Farmington Field Office, 6251 College Blvd, Farmington, NM 87402, (505) 564-7600
Taos Field Office, 1024 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571-5983, (575) 758-8851

For more information about Christmas tree permits, contact the local BLM office or the BLM New Mexico State Office at 505-954-2222.

This story was created by reporter Andy Dossett, ADossett@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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New Mexico

Lobos give bowl-bound Eck extension to 2030

Published

1 day ago

November 30, 2025

Press Room

Lobos give bowl-bound Eck extension to 2030

New Mexico football coach Jason Eck has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep him with the Lobos until 2030, the school announced Sunday.

In his first regular season as head coach, Eck took the Lobos to a 9-3 record — the program’s best mark since 1982 and only the fourth time they have won nine games since 1997.

Eck’s new deal includes an increase in average salary to $1.75 million from $1.25 million, sources told ESPN.

A former Wisconsin offensive lineman, Eck spent three seasons as head coach at Idaho where he went 26-13 before being hired by the Lobos last December.

New Mexico’s nine-win season and 6-2 record in the Mountain West earned them a tie for first place in the conference. But the conference’s tiebreaker (based on a composite average of nationally recognized metrics: Connelly SP+, ESPN SOR, KPI and SportSource rankings) determined that Boise State and UNLV would face each other in the title game.

If Eck can lead the Lobos to a bowl win, however, it will be the first 10-win season the program has had in 43 years.

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