Struggling District Attorney of Gallup under fire for financial support, faces scrutiny and critique
In the small town of Gallup, New Mexico, an investigation has been launched by Attorney General Raul Torrez into McKinley County District Attorney Bernadine Martin. The exact nature of the investigation remains unclear, as the timeline and details have yet to be disclosed.
Local resident Geri Hughbanks expressed concern about the high crime rates in Gallup and voiced her disapproval of Martin's tenure, stating that she's heard from former employees about negative working conditions in Martin's office. Community members, including family members of crime victims, have also criticized Martin during a news conference.
The investigation comes as Martin faces a funding crisis, with her state funding having run out and at least one of her contract attorneys, JoHanna Cox, working without pay since the new state budget took effect last month. A total of 2,750 charges were dismissed last year, though some criminal cases can feature multiple charges. The number of charges dismissed amounted to about 69% of all charges disposed of in the county.
Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, has defended the budgetary action and said he's been approached by judges and Chief Public Defender Ben Baur with concerns about mismanagement of the District Attorney's Office. Local business owner Lyndon Tsosie accused Martin of running some employees off and being responsible for the defunding of the McKinley County District Attorney's Office. However, Sen. George Munoz has stated that Martin's claims that she was targeted for defunding in part due to her status as a Navajo elected official are not true.
The defunding of the McKinley County District Attorney's Office shifted funding for the Gallup-based District Attorney's Office to San Juan County District Attorney Jack Fortner's budget. Martin and Fortner have been unable to reach an agreement on how cases should be handled under the unusual setup, with a mediation hearing set to take place next week. If the mediation is unsuccessful, Martin will run out of money to pay her employees on Aug. 12.
Seven domestic violence cases in Gallup were dismissed last month due to a scheduling conflict, as Martin was taking part in a hearing in Santa Fe for a murder case that same day. Hughbanks said she has no trust in Martin, the district attorney.
The state Supreme Court has rejected a petition filed by Martin, though a separate court case on the matter is still pending in the Santa Fe-based 1st Judicial District. The investigation into Martin could potentially lead to her removal from office, as district attorneys can be removed for reasons including gross incompetency and failure, neglect or refusal to discharge the duties of the office.
As the investigation continues, residents of Gallup and the wider community await developments and updates on the situation. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, it is recommended to consult official New Mexico state government sources or recent news outlets.
- The ongoing investigation into McKinley County District Attorney Bernadine Martin, led by Attorney General Raul Torrez, has raised concerns about the management of her office, with local business owner Lyndon Tsosie accusing Martin of mismanagement leading to the defunding of the McKinley County District Attorney's Office.
- The defunding of the McKinley County District Attorney's Office has shifted some of the funding to San Juan County District Attorney Jack Fortner's budget, but disagreements between Martin and Fortner over case handling have created an unusual setup, potentially leading to a mediation hearing next week if unresolved.
- As the investigation unfolds, the potential removal of District Attorney Bernadine Martin from office could be a possibility, given her office's high crime rates, dismissed charges, and accusations of incompetency, neglect, and refusal to discharge duties, which are reasons for district attorney removals as stated in policy-and-legislation.
