Recusals bump Griego case to fourth judge
It’s a courthouse hot potato all over again. Recently filed public corruption charges against former state Sen. Phil Griego have been assigned to a fourth judge in the Santa Fe-based 1st Judicial District after three other judges recused themselves from hearing the case in the past week or so.
A similar thing happened last year when Griego, a Democrat from rural San Miguel County, was first charged by Attorney General Hector Balderas with crimes that hinge on the allegation he used his position as a legislator to make money in a real estate deal involving a historic state-owned building.
After all nine judges in the District Court had either recused themselves or been bumped off the case, it was eventually assigned in April 2016 to a judge in Albuquerque by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the newer charges allege that Griego, who resigned from the Senate in March 2015, illegally pocketed money from his campaign account and lied about it on required reports. The case is now assigned to District Judge Jennifer Attrep, but could be reassigned again if she were to recuse herself.
Griego’s attorney has said he plans to ask a judge — when one takes the case — to try the new charges separately from the previous ones.
His trial on the previous charges is scheduled to begin in October. ENDORSEMENT: Once a potential adversary, Hector Balderas is now officially supporting Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2018 gubernatorial bid.
Balderas, the state’s Democratic attorney general, announced his endorsement of Lujan Grisham earlier this week, saying the two-term congresswoman and former state Cabinet secretary has a record of “fierce advocacy” for vulnerable New Mexicans.
Balderas had also pondered running for governor next year, but he said last month that he would not run for the office and, instead, will seek re-election to a second term as the state’s top attorney.
His early endorsement — almost a year before next year’s primary election — marks the first such public backing from a current statewide official in the 2018 gubernatorial contest.
Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, is barred from seeking a third consecutive term as governor and several candidates have already set their sights on the race.
Lujan Grisham is the highestprofile candidate to announce on the Democratic side and she has received endorsements from several prominent state labor unions. The other Democrats in the race are Jeff Apodaca, a former television executive from Albuquerque, and Peter DeBenedittis, a Santa Fe advocate for prevention of alcohol abuse.