Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 11/30/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Farmington Police Department facing lawsuit
Legislation mulls over pot charges
Mystery bird at Bosque del Apache
PRC postpones appointments 

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Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 11/30/12

Farmington Police Department facing lawsuit

Two American Indian families have filed a lawsuit against the San Juan County Sheriff's Office and the Farmington Police Department over alleged abuse of power. 

The suit in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque says authorities in March pulled over an elderly couple and their grandchildren while authorities searched for a car thief. 

According to the suit, offices performed a felony stop with deputies and Farmington police officers had guns drawn. Authorities were searching for a suspect wanted for breaking into a school building and stealing a brown Chevrolet Impala with government plates and several laptops. 

But a lawyer for the family says it was obvious that the family had nothing to do with the crime. Both departments said they found no wrong doing.

Farmington Police Department facing lawsuit

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 11/30/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Mystery bird at Bosque del Apache
Whooping cough cases up in NM
Dept. of Transporation awards NM funds
Methadone treatment cut from jail controversy

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Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 11/30/12

Steve Pearce votes on jobs act

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Today, Congressman Steve Pearce voted in favor of H.R. 6429, the STEM Jobs Act.   The Act reforms outdated immigration laws so that American companies can remain competitive, instead of losing American-trained students to foreign competitors.

“Immigration laws need to keep pace with the global economy, and today’s legislation helps us do just that,” said Pearce.  “America’s universities draw the best and brightest in the world, and the STEM Jobs Act allows our businesses to tap into this investment.  By updating our immigration laws through the STEM Jobs Act, we open the door to a vast new source of enhanced innovation, growth, and job creation for America.”

The STEM Jobs Act will provide new access to green cards for foreign graduates of American universities with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  As a result, American businesses will be able to keep these students here, and will have access to the world’s top innovators and problem-solvers.  As a result, the U.S. economy will profit, instead of losing the investment of American universities to foreign competitors.

The Act also includes a pro-family provision to allow spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents (green card holders) to join their family member in the U.S. after they have spent one year on the waiting list.  The STEM Jobs Act passed with bipartisan support. 

Steve Pearce votes on jobs act

Courtesy of legalinsurrection.com

Legislators mull over marijuana charge changes

The Drug Policy Alliance on Thursday pitched a proposal to lawmakers to decrease penalties for having small amounts of marijuana — eliminating any penalty for less than 1 ounce, and reducing penalties and eliminating jail time for 1 to 8 ounces.

Currently, possession of up to 8 ounces is a misdemeanor that under the law could trigger a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to a year in jail.

The alliance’s New Mexico director, Emily Kaltenbach, said arresting adults for having small amounts of marijuana wastes criminal justice resources that could better be used elsewhere, as well as jeopardizing jobs and creating other hardships for those arrested. 

According to the alliance, there were 3,277 arrests in New Mexico in 2010 in which marijuana possession was the sole or primary charge. Marijuana arrests were 34 percent of all drug arrests, according to the alliance. 

Doña Ana County accounted for 28 percent of the overall arrests; Doña Ana and Chaves Counties had the highest arrest rates.

Legislators mull over marijuana charge changes

Whooping cough cases up in NM

The number of whooping cough cases in New Mexico continues to rise and the Department of Health is ramping up efforts to educate people about preventing the infectious disease. 

DOH says there have been 644 cases of the deadly disease so far this year, including two child deaths. That is more than double the total number last year, 275 cases. 

To slow down this contagious disease, the State Health Department is spreading the message, plastering it on billboards and airing a public service announcement on Telemundo. 

Health officials suggest seeing a doctor if you have a cough for longer than a week.

Whooping cough cases up in NM

Arguments over methadone cuts at NM jail

Metropolitan Detention Center Chief Ramon Rustin said that providing methadone in jail is not working. 

He said Thursday that he believes many who get methadone re-offend and wind up right back in jail. And he said as of Dec. 31st prisoners will not get it. But that won't happen without a fight. 

There is concern that people will end up in the jail's detoxification unit and suffer severe withdrawal symptoms without the methadone they're used to. Rustin said no other jail in the state provides methadone and says people who get it aren't the only ones who face withdrawal symptoms. 

David Schmidt of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Mexico said corrections officers could be assaulted by inmates who act out violently while withdrawing and says inmate health is a huge issue. The Drug Policy Alliance said it will file a temporary restraining order against the jail to keep the program going if the jail does not respond to the group regarding the policy change by Friday.

Arguments over methadone cuts at NM jail

Members of LANL security force fired

Officials say five members of the Los Alamos National Laboratory security force were fired because of "unauthorized visitors" at the shooting range. 

The lab said Wednesday that the unauthorized visitors were allowed access to the shooting range and allowed to "operate a variety of firearms." Lab officials say news of the visitors was discovered when it received information from an anonymous source. 

Five employees of the lab security force, known as Securing Our Country, were fired earlier this month for "inappropriate behavior" at Technical Area 72. 

Names of the former employees have not been released.

Members of LANL security force fired

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 11/30/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Ex-NMFA official pleads guilty
LANL security team fired
Jail cutting methadone argument 

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Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 11/30/12

Former NMFA official pleads guilty to forgery charges

Greg Campbell

A former top official of the New Mexico Finance Authority has pleaded guilty to forgery and securities fraud charges for falsifying an agency financial audit that was distributed to bond investors earlier this year.

 Under an agreement with prosecutors, ex-controller Greg Campbell had faced up to six years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to two counts of forgery and one count of securities fraud. 

State District Judge Stephen Pfeffer placed Campbell on probation for five years. 

The 52-year-old Campbell had served as controller from 2007 until he left in June. In that position, he was in charge of the authority's accounting operations.

Former NMFA official pleads guilty to forgery charges