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

Federal court orders New Mexico prison officials to allow magazine’s delivery

Published

1 hour ago

March 11, 2026

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Federal court orders New Mexico prison officials to allow magazine’s delivery

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New Mexico

Tanya Tucker to perform at New Mexico State Fair

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

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Tanya Tucker to perform at New Mexico State Fair

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Tanya Tucker will perform at the 2026 New Mexico State Fair, officials announced Tuesday.

Tucker will take to the stage Friday, Sept. 18, after the Chevron PRCA rodeo. The Grammy Award-winning icon has racked up 10 No. 1 country hits since her first hit, “Delta Dawn,” at age 13.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring the legendary Tanya Tucker to the New Mexico State Fair,” said Dan Mourning, general manager of the New Mexico State Fair. “Tanya is one of the greatest icons in country music history and is the perfect fit for the Fair.”

Tucker has 23 Top-40 albums and 56 Top 40 singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has won two Country Music Association awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, three CMT Awards and two Grammys for Best Country Album and Best Country Song.

Tickets are set to go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m.

Here is the full 2026 New Mexico State Fair rodeo-concert lineup:

Friday, Sept. 11

Turnpike Troubadours with Chevron PRCA Xtreme Bulls

Saturday, Sept. 12

Ian Munsick with Chevron PRCA Xtreme Bulls

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Chevron PRCA Standalone Rodeo

Thursday, Sept. 17

Everclear with Chevron PRCA Rodeo

Friday, Sept. 18

Tanya Tucker with Chevron PRCA Rodeo

Saturday, Sept. 19

The Warning with Chevron PRCA Rodeo

Sunday, Sept. 20

Chevron PRCA Rodeo – Matinee

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New Mexico

New Mexico prosecutors launch search of Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded former Zorro Ranch

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

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New Mexico prosecutors launch search of Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded former Zorro Ranch

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State investigators began searching a secluded ranch in New Mexico on Monday where financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once entertained guests amid allegations that the property may have been used for sexual abuse and sex trafficking of young women.

The office of state Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that the search was being done with the cooperation of the current ranch owners.

Torrez last month reopened an investigation of the ranch. New Mexico’s initial case was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, and state prosecutors say now that “revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”

Epstein purchased the sprawling Zorro Ranch in Stanley, New Mexico, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Santa Fe, in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a hilltop mansion with a private runway.

The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 — with proceeds going toward creditors — to the family of Don Huffines, a candidate in Texas for state comptroller who won the Republican primary last week.

“The New Mexico Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation of the current property owners,” the agency said in a statement. Prosecutors “will continue to keep the public appropriately informed, support the survivors, and follow the facts wherever they lead.”

Additionally, New Mexico state legislators have established a new commission to look into past activities at the ranch.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls.

Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, but the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it had interviewed possible victims who visited Epstein’s ranch.

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