AG’s Office can put civil rights front, center
Torrez putting focus on children’s rights
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On Jan. 1, 2023, I was sworn into office as the 32nd attorney general of the state of New Mexico, and for the last several weeks my team and I have been heavily involved in the legislative process, appearing before committees dealing with budgetary issues, public safety proposals, and ongoing litigation impacting water and natural resources across the state.
Given the incredible breadth and complexity of this work, members of the public might be surprised to learn that my primary objective for this session is not simply preserving our ability to engage in these important issues, but to encourage the Legislature to reimagine the Attorney General’s Office and enhance our power to protect and serve the most vulnerable members of our community.
Over the years, the Legislature has incrementally expanded this agency’s portfolio, but in the process, I believe, we have lost sight of the most fundamental responsibility that we have: establishing not just a public sector legal department of general concern, but creating a robust New Mexico Department of Justice dedicated to the defense of our constitutional order and the sacred rights to which every American is entitled.
Since the passage of the (federal) 1965 Civil Rights Act and the subsequent establishment of the Civil Rights Division within the U.S. Department of Justice, government lawyers have appeared in courthouses across this country to desegregate schools and public transportation, to address patterns of misconduct and excessive force in America’s police departments, and to ensure that local governments make their facilities open and accessible to all citizens. Giving force to the universal principles enshrined in our founding charter, their work has brought this nation closer to realizing its commitment to equal treatment under the law and expanded opportunities for millions of Americans to reach their full potential.
But despite the incredible progress that has been made over the last 60 years, much more needs to be done on behalf of those least able to defend themselves or protect their rights. That is why I am proposing the establishment of the first dedicated Civil Rights Division within the Attorney General’s Office and identifying, as its top priority, protecting the right of every child in this state to adequate health care, education and, above all, safety.
As a career prosecutor I know better than most what happens when we fail to protect children and allow early childhood trauma to accumulate without timely, sustained and competent intervention. Violence begets more violence as the trauma in one generation bleeds into the next, destabilizing families and communities as the public health and education systems bend to the breaking point until finally the criminal justice system is called upon to address the problem, but only after tragedy and heartbreak leave their mark on us all.
We have the resources to reshape our destiny. What we need now is the political resolve to place the civil rights of children at the center of a revitalized New Mexico Department of Justice with the power to hold every branch of government accountable for securing the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens and, in so doing, securing a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for us all.