NM’s chief deputy defender to resign

Sexual harassment claims still moving forward

SANTA FE — The chief deputy of New Mexico’s Offices of the Public Defender — Chandler Blair — is resigning amid allegations of sexual harassment, Chief Public Defender Bennett Baur confirmed.

Blair notified the agency he was leaving to go into private practice.

Two female attorneys who filed sexual harassment complaints against Blair are still pursuing their claims after the New Mexico Disciplinary Board declined to take action. Jocelyn Garrison, who had worked with Blair in the Public Defender’s Office in Clovis, accused him of coming up behind her in her office and choking her, grabbing her genitals and whispering vulgar comments in her ear.

An assistant district attorney in the 9th Judicial District, who spoke to the newspaper in February on the condition of anonymity, said Blair had made unprofessional comments to her and had inappropriately rubbed his body against hers in open court on two separate occasions.

Blair has denied the allegations, and the New Mexico Disciplinary Board declined to take action on complaints filed by the women’s supervisors.

The disciplinary board’s legal counsel said the decision to take no action was made in part because of insufficient evidence and because the New Mexico Rules of Professional Conduct only address the behavior of lawyers related to their representation of clients, not in their workplace.

Blair did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

Baur said he thought Blair’s resignation was effective “sometime before the end of the month.”

The allegations come after the New Mexico Legislature overhauled its policies against sexual misconduct and harassment ahead of its recent 30-day session. The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office also began offering training for lobbyists to combat workplace misconduct.

The Public Defender’s Office employs more than 200 attorneys who represent indigent defendants across New Mexico.