Aquinos complaint includes affidavits from Cuba police Chief Manuel Romero and Espaola-area journalist Tabitha Clay in support of some his allegations. You may remember video back in March when Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan. During that time, he wasacquitted of bribery and conspiracy chargestiedto countywide gambling and political corruption problems, according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. New Mexico. Known as the "father of Phoenix" for his hand in the beginning stages of the city's development, William Hancock was the first appointed sheriff for Maricopa County in 1871. I believe the jury had serious reservations and doubts about the prosecutions case, he said. The charters Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge. Lujan turned in his resignation following the verdict. Agnos also instated 100 percent pay for employees injured on the job, which was then adopted by the nation. During opening statements at the trial in 1st Judicial District Court in Tierra Amarilla on Wednesday, attorneys pointed fingers at who they said were the bad apples in the case: Lujan or the officers responding to the warrants for the fugitive Lujan is accused of harboring. She previously reported for the Rio Grande Sun. The charge is a fourth-degree felony and arose from the May 21 arrest of County Sheriff James Lujan. "The people of Rio Arriba County elected you to. Bowles also brought up that the Espaola police chief wrote a letter on Lattins behalf to the law enforcement board when he was facing different disciplinary actions. On Friday, a jury. Lujans predecessor Thomas Rodella left the office after being convicted of civil rights violations. Create a password that only you will remember. Attorneys on both sides in the trial of Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan said a lot of bad apples were involved in the incident that led to his arrest in March 2017 but who exactly those bad apples are depends on who was asked. Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com. This was tied to losing his bid for re-election aftera deputy-involved scandal. An ABC15 investigation found Superior's police force is filled with discredited cops, who've been enabled by a broken Brady list system that lets them escape lasting accountability and keeps . This contributed to Blubaum not being reelected for another term. Former Rio Arriba County sheriff James Lujan pleaded guilty De c. 29 to the misdemeanor counts of obstruction he was facing and will serve 364 days concurrently with his current sentence. I could not move my arms at all if I wanted to They had complete control over me. "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled to play the KiMo Theatre on Sunday, March 5,, Albuquerque Talent Development Academy while turning down that of another, El Camino Real Academy., SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin was found not guilty. By Phaedra Haywood He believes the entire department needs to be shut down with the towns law enforcement responsibilities taken over by the county sheriff. The District Attorney told KRQE News 13 that it was her understanding that Lujan resigned Wednesday a few hours after his conviction. This means the single fourth-degree felony count could be refiled if Trujillo does not retire, this according to special prosecutor Andrea Reeb. Aquinos complaint says he believed Napoleon Garcia and Montoya were attempting to conceal and tamper with evidence related to the crash that damaged the vehicle. His wife was the second schoolteacher to come to Phoenix. Aquino had a long history of disciplinary actions being taken against him at the Rio Arriba Sheriffs Office, including a citizen complaint of harassment during a traffic stop, an unsafe high speed pursuit, and a DWI arrest and a domestic violence incident while off-duty. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. According to personnel records obtained by ABC15, Ensley has worked in at least six Arizona police departments, either failing to meet standards, resigning under investigation, or getting fired for dishonesty. Thats what a jury decided Wednesday after less than four hours of deliberations. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies declined comment, anticipating that the case will be retried. The video shows Aquinos physical altercation with George Vigil, who later filed a lawsuit against the county over his treatment by Aquino. He was the passenger in a car stopped for a cracked windshield, and officers found a small amount of marijuana and a pipe in the center console. Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Espaola Police arrested Rio Arriba County Undersheriff Martin Trujillo Friday afternoon, after he was charged with criminal solicitation to commit assisting in assault upon a peace officer. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. The incident led to Aquino losing his job, but he claims he was fired for exposing wrongdoing among county employees. His investigation revealed Montoya failed to report a crash that damaged his county-issued vehicle, electing instead to have it repaired at a private shop in Chimay though the repair bill was sent to the county, his lawsuit says. Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. Thomas Agnos held office from 1989-92 andbrought a higher standard of law enforcement ethics to the office, according to Arizona Fraternal Order of Police. 162 Tierra Amarilla, NM 87575 Phone: (575) 588-7254 Fax (575) 588-7810 Rio Arriba County Annex Building: 1122 Industrial Park Road Espaola, NM 87532 Phone: (505) 753-2992 Fax: (505) 753-9397 Tierra Amarilla, NM 24 1:05 am MST Clear Get this widget Espaola, NM 25 1:05 am MST Mostly clear Get this widget As of Monday, however, the spokesperson said Navarrette returned to regular duty. I am extremely satisfied with the conviction, Reeb said following the verdict. Normally, the undersheriff would take the lead in such a situation, but in this case, it remains unclear, as Undersheriff Martin Trujillo, a close friend of Lujans faces his own felony charges related to Lujans criminal troubles. All rights reserved. I thought I was going to go in there, get my friend, and I was going to leave, he said. Reeb also argued heavy media coverage of the trial made it difficult to find jurors without knowledge of the allegations against Lujan. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, Wake-Up Weather: AM showers then mild and breezy, Cooking Corner: Special recipes and foods for Black History Month, Amazon's Daisy Jones & the Six Is the Latest in a Long Line of Embarrassing Portraits of Musical Genius, Man in hospital after shooting in St. Denis neighborhood, police say. For instance, Bowles read Lattins statement from the cases preliminary hearing, in which Lattin said he wasnt aware of Chacons charges the night of the incident. In the months after the incident, Lattin said, Lujan told him about 30 times not to tell anyone about their interaction. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. 'I'm also a police officer': Arizona sheriff's deputy pleads for release after being pulled over for DUI. The earliest many Arizona counties began keeping Brady lists was around 20 years ago. Stay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online. He also worked at Globe Police after Superior and then transferred to Miami Police, where he shot someone in a controversial case last year. Many, if not most should be considered armed and dangerous. A notice of dismissal was filed on Monday, and the case was dismissed without prejudice. When a bystander told the officers they were using excessive force, Ensley quickly approached the man, requested identification, accused him of trespassing, and told him to leave. Your email is safe with us, we dont spam. APS board begrudgingly approves one charter school, denies another. Contests and special offers from The Santa Fe New Mexican and advertising partners. The charges were filed after Lujan refused to comply with a search warrant to provide investigators access to his cell phone. ALBUQUERQUEU.S. We won't share it with anyone else. By clicking submit, you agree to receive The Paper by email. He has about three years left on his sentence. Not anymore. His resigned when he lost hisbid for election to a full term, as he was simply appointed to complete Barnum's term, according to Arizona Fraternal Order of Police. It is unclear who will take the helm of the long-troubled agency. His son also became sheriff two years after Montgomery'sdeath in 1919, according to Arizona Fraternal Order of Police. He mademany changes, such as starting contract law enforcement services with towns. If it is retried, he believes his client will be acquitted because the charges arent valid. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. You can unsubscribe anytime. Jefferson Davis Adams was the first Maricopa County sheriff, serving three terms from 1912 to 1916 as well as finishing Jerry Sullivan's term after his death. The jury sent a message that no one, not even an elected official, is above the law.. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning. He argued "there are significant differences between persons residing in Santa Fe County and those residing in Rio Arriba county," and that using only jurors from Santa Fe County would result in a jury pool "comprised of members vastly disproportionate to that of Mr. Lujan's peers.". The use of force on Manriquez wasnt clearly documented in any of Superiors department reports. However, Volkmer said the officers unnecessarily escalated the situation and wished they would have handled it differently. The prosecutor broached the idea of moving the cases to another judicial district, in San Juan or Doa Ana County, for example, but both Biedscheid and McGarry Ellenwood elected to keep the cases in the First Judicial District, which includes Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Los Alamos counties. View property records for 86 addresses located on Cochiti Street NE in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, including property ownership, deeds, mortgages, titles & sales history, current & historic tax assessments, legal, parcel & structure description, land use, zoning & more. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Published December 2nd, 2021 at 9:02 am, Last Updated December 2nd, 2021 at 4:53 pm. This started the reinstatement of the death penalty in Arizona,according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan, right, and one of his attorneys Nathaniel Thompkins talk in the courtroom in Tierra Amarilla during the first day of his trial. Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood who presided over a trial in June against Lujan in the rural Rio Arriba County seat of Tierra Amarilla, which ended with a hung jury is the second judge to move a case against the sheriff out of the county. In 2010, he was required to undergo a psychological evaluation that determined, he may be a poor candidate due to his moral self-righteousness, possible adjustment challenges, may be overly sensitive to criticism, and may be rigid and inflexible in his thinking., Another officer involved in the arrest was Commander Anthony Doran, who was previously fired from the Pima County Sheriffs Office for having sex on duty, records show. Lujan also was convicted of intimidating or threatening a witness for taking one of his former deputies, Cody Lattin, to Chacons house with him that night and directing Lattin not to tell anyone what he had done or to discuss his actions on police radio. The proceeding in Tierra Amarilla concluded when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Mummert also introduced civilian replacements for deputies as radio dispatchers and jail guards. Back in May, Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan was arrested after refusing to hand over his cell phone when Espaola Police, with the help of the Taos County Sheriff's Office,. Invitational brings 16 NM brewery together for a stout 2023 Stout Invitational, hosted by Bathtub 2023 Stout Invitational, hosted by Bathtub Row Brewing Co-Op, 163 Central Park Square in Los Alamos, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled to play the KiMo Theatre on Sunday, March 5, as part of its United States tour. Known for his harsh form of justice, Thomas Warden served from 1871 to 1872. The trial was his second in the case; a June trial in a Tierra Amarilla courtroom ended with a jury deadlocked 8-4 in favor of acquittal. Clays affidavit concerns Aquinos claim that Lujan downplayed the altercation between the deputy and Vigil before using it as the basis to fire him. The legal limit in Arizona is 0.08. What are we going through? Navarrette said in response. One of the officers who assisted in the search of the car and Manriquezs home was Bryan Lawrence. This story is part of an in-depth ABC15 investigation into Arizona's broken "Brady List" system. Lujan was facing felony charges of bribery of a witness and harboring or aiding a felon for allegedly helping former Espaola City Councilor Phillip Chacon evade police in March 2017. In March of last year, Lujan showed up drunk at a crime scene, again involving Phil Chacon, and refused to leave. But local journalists still have to eat. Prosecutor Reeb told the jury that Lattin didnt immediately tell anyone because he was afraid the sheriff would fire him if he did. A spokesperson for the Pinal County Sheriff's Office told KPNX that Navarrette was initially placed on modified duty. The issue is that the prosecutors who keep them have no requirement to share that information with AZPOST, which is the organization that would decertify problematic officers, said Jared Keenan, a former defense attorney now with the ACLU Arizona. District Attorney Andrea Reeb accused Lujan of abusing his authority, saying he loved the power of being the sheriff. From 1881 to 1884 and from 1895 to 1898, Lindely Orme served four terms as Maricopa County sheriff, with 10 years between his second and third terms. He was, however, elected the following yearfor the 1926-27 term. ESPAOLA, N.M. (KRQE) - A New Mexico sheriff arrested earlier this year is now facing even more charges. phaywood@sfnewmexican.com, Newly elected Santa Fe County magistrate arrested on DWI charge, Police: Walmart shooting suspect's case dismissed under DA's DWI policy, Santa Fe Bite has new owners, but old owners remain on board, Another troubled Espaola complex teeters, Accused judge removed from bench in wake of DWI charge, Longtime weatherman forecasts a new life outside TV, Concerns crop up about old assault charges against Indian Affairs appointee, Yo, Governor: You're not paying for the highways, Farmer switching crops: No green in chile anymore, Predictions: Horsemen go all the way; Demons upset everyone, Volunteer adopts dog who struggled to find permanent home, Peacenik vs. secretive senator for Capitol dishonor. [Aquino] wants to win a lawsuit Im sure, but all of that is false., Danny Garcia said his front yard is paved, but that wasnt done by the county, that was done by myself.. Still, he was repeatedly elected. 'Cliffs of Dover' guitarist Eric Johnson bringing tour to Grammy-winning guitarist Eric Johnson will make Grammy-winning guitarist Eric Johnson will make a stop at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Saturday, March 4. The Santa Fe jury did the job they were asked to do. "No one reported it.". His trial is set for March of next year. Lujan submitted his resignation from the office of Rio Arriba County Sheriff via email Wednesday evening, just hours after being convicted. I understand there will be a retrial, and as such its not proper to comment at this time, she said in a written statement. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office contact information: Tierra Amarilla Sheriff's Office 149 State Rd 162 - Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico 87575 Landline: (575) 588-7271 Fax: (575) 588-7194 Espaola Sheriff's Office 1122 Industrial Park Road - Espanola, New Mexico 87532 Landline: (505) 753-3329 Fax: (505) 753-9812 Administrative Hours: This happens to people every day and they dont do nothing about it, Peterson said. After the ASU officer conducted a field sobriety test, Navarrette took a Breathalyzer test and blew a 0.121, the police report said. Lujans was sentenced to three years in prison, and was remanded into custody. Aaron Maughn failed to stop for a traffic violation and was able to evade officers by driving off-road into the desert and ditching his vehicle. A Public Service of Santa Fe Community College, PublishedFebruary 18, 2022 at 9:04 AM MST. Before becoming sheriff from 1891 to 1892, John Montgomery was county supervisor. 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