Former judge takes on state District Court incumbent
There is no Republican candidate in this Bernalillo County race
Both men running for a seat in the state District Court in Bernalillo County say they want to help people in the court system find treatment instead of throwing them in jail.
Former Metropolitan Court Chief Judge Edward Benavidez is challenging incumbent Judge Daniel Ramczyk in Tuesday’s Democratic primary election. There is no Republican candidate.
Ramczyk, also a former Metro Court judge, was appointed to his seat by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last year and is running to
keep it.
Benavidez served 10 years at Metro Court, but was not retained by voters in 2018. He is now a prosecutor with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Both men say they are advocates for specialty courts that put defendants with substance abuse problems into treatment programs instead of incarceration.
Benavidez said he worked on DWI and drug courts while at Metro Court, adding that he hopes to continue working in similar programs at District Court. Although he said some defendants need to be held in jail to protect the community, he said incarcerating people won’t help their substance abuse problems and will only keep them in the system.
“The only way to stop that is to get rehabilitated, and the way to do that is through drug court,” Benavidez said.
Ramczyk says he also has experience in specialty courts and, as a recovering alcoholic, has a different insight into what treatment some defendants may need.
“I have a good, working understanding of alcoholism,” Ramczyk said. “I could use my experience to see if I can help some people.”
Benavidez said he doesn’t think not being retained at Metro Court will have an effect on voters. He said he got just below the 57% of the vote required to remain on the bench but still got over 50% of the vote and argues that a majority of voters still wanted to keep him.
“The will of the people was not served when I was not retained,” Benavidez said.
Last June, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a deaf woman who claims Ramcyzk didn’t allow her to have an American Sign Language interpreter during a November 2018 hearing in Metro Court.
An ACLU spokeswoman said Wednesday that the complaint is pending.
Ramczyk said court rules dictate that a sign language interpreter must be requested in advance and said he stands by his decision to move forward with the hearing.
“I followed the rules that the New Mexico Supreme Court issued with respect to interpreters,” Ramczyk said. “I followed that rule to a T.”
Ramczyk, who served 16 years at Metro Court, said he has more experience than Benavidez in both criminal and civil matters.
“I think we need mature, experienced judges, especially now,” Ramczyk said.
Benavidez touted his experience setting initial bond and conditions of release for felony defendants who first appear in Metro Court and said his biggest concern is community safety.
“It’s something I had experience with as a Metro Court judge, and I will do a good job for the community and everyone in the system,” Benavidez said.