The charges followed a 2017 incident where Lujan, as sheriff, helped Phillip Chacon avoid capture by the local Espaola police department. Dec. 3State District Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood sentenced former Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan to three years in prison followed by a year and a half of probation Thursday, a day after a Santa Fe jury convicted him of two felony charges after he helped a man avoid arrest and then directed a deputy not to tell anyone. Invitational brings 16 NM brewery together for a stout 2023 Stout Invitational, hosted by Bathtub 2023 Stout Invitational, hosted by Bathtub Row Brewing Co-Op, 163 Central Park Square in Los Alamos, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled "MANIA: The ABBA Tribute" is scheduled to play the KiMo Theatre on Sunday, March 5, as part of its United States tour. However, defense attorney Jason Bowles said that Lujan isnt a bad apple but that former Espaola police officer Cody Lattin is. He founded the Sheriffs Peace Officers Police Training School, and afterinitially becoming deputy in 1930 he had served in every department by the time he was sheriff. Back in May, Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan was arrested after refusing to hand over his cell phone when Espaola Police, with the help of the Taos County Sheriff's Office,. Lujan turned in his resignation following the verdict. The legal limit in Arizona is 0.08. Before he took office as sheriff from 1977-84, Jerry Hill was a Phoenix police officerand lieutenant, according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. "Dont put my f------ career at risk," the deputy can be heard telling an officer in footage of the arrest. Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood who presided over a trial in June against Lujan in the rural Rio Arriba County seat of Tierra Amarilla, which ended with a hung jury is the second judge to move a case against the sheriff out of the county. Former Rio Arriba County sheriff, serving prison term, pleads no contest in second case. The charges were filed after Lujan refused to comply with a search warrant to provide investigators access to his cell phone. Superior police claimed he resisted arrest. The day after Aquino forwarded the case file to the Attorney Generals Office, the Rio Arriba County Sheriffs Office opened an internal affairs investigation into his altercation with Vigil, according to the lawsuit. This is also who Broadway Road in Phoenix isnamed after. Sheriff Lujan believes hes above the law, Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb said during her opening statement, and the jury agreed. Investigators say Lujan also told his own deputies not to tell anyone about it and he could face even more charges. Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella, sitting in the defendant's chair rather than on the side of the law, and his family were visibly upset when jurors convicted him of pulling his gun. McGarry Ellenwood was appointed to the District Court bench in July 2020, less than a year before Lujan's trial. 9 Texas a B12 title, No. But should you turn them in? The spokesperson declined to comment further, but said that "Deputy Navarrette is currently the subject of an internal investigation related to this incident, and as such we cannot discuss the case.". It was reported that he was suffering from terminal cancer. We hope the prosecutor will go back and decide not to retry it.. Aquinos complaint includes affidavits from Cuba police Chief Manuel Romero and Espaola-area journalist Tabitha Clay in support of some his allegations. The fact that youre telling me that tells me you shouldnt be an officer," the officer said. Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. He also worked at Globe Police after Superior and then transferred to Miami Police, where he shot someone in a controversial case last year. The American Civil Liberties Union and Rothstein Donatelli LLC have filed a lawsuit against the Rio Arriba Sheriff's Office (RASO) on behalf of Tabitha Clay, a reporter who was reportedly harassed by the county's deputies in 2019. Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff's deputy Joseph Aquino gets into an altercation with George Vigil, an employee at Family Dollar in Chimay, in March of 2019. The Sheriff's Posse was nationally recognized during Hill's time, and President Ronald Regan visited Sun City Posse Headquarters during this time. Among these complaints, Aquino said, included a quid pro quo involving Rio Arriba County Commissioner Danny Garcia and his nephew, Napoleon Garcia, that included allegations of an unjustified raise for Napoleon Garcia and paving work done at Danny Garcias front yard and at Napoleon Garcias family ranch. He met his budget goals each year he was Sheriff, among other accomplishments. Bowles also brought up that the Espaola police chief wrote a letter on Lattins behalf to the law enforcement board when he was facing different disciplinary actions. Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella, sitting in the defendant's chair rather than on the side of the law, and his family were visibly upset when jurors . Biedscheid who said his decision to move the misdemeanor case was based in part on the lack of physical space in the Tierra Amarilla courthouse left the possibility for Rio Arriba County jurors to hear the case in Santa Fe. He is also accused of three counts of resisting, obstructing or evading an officer in a related case pertaining to his arrest in the first case for failing to unlock a cellphone for police to review. Tommy Rodella was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for pulling a gun during an off-duty traffic stop in 2014. According to the lawsuit, Aquino gave his case file to the state Attorney Generals Office in late May 2019 after telling Lujan and other supervisors what hed found. Normally when people are terminated, the first thing they want to do is sue the county for wrongful termination, he said. Commissioners dont get involved in the day-to-day operations of the county. The Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board is the state agency that licenses cops. Trujillo is accused of ordering deputies to draw their firearms against officers from the Espaola Police Department and the Taos County Sheriffs Office, who were attempting to execute a search warrant on Trujillos then boss, Sheriff James Lujan. Local News. Dedicating my life as a law enforcement officer I believe youre expected to be held to a higher standard, especially if you are the sheriff of the third-largest county in the state, Saucedo said after the trial. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Thats what a jury decided Wednesday after less than four hours of deliberations. In 2010, he was required to undergo a psychological evaluation that determined, he may be a poor candidate due to his moral self-righteousness, possible adjustment challenges, may be overly sensitive to criticism, and may be rigid and inflexible in his thinking., Another officer involved in the arrest was Commander Anthony Doran, who was previously fired from the Pima County Sheriffs Office for having sex on duty, records show. The most remembered incident during William Henry Wilky's term in office, from 1917 to 1918, was the last recorded lynching in Arizona. APS board begrudgingly approves one charter school, denies another. During that time, he wasacquitted of bribery and conspiracy chargestiedto countywide gambling and political corruption problems, according toArizona Fraternal Order of Police. We won't share it with anyone else. Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood who presided over a trial in June against Lujan in the rural Rio Arriba County seat of Tierra Amarilla, which ended with a hung jury is the . Want more news like this? Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! During his time as sheriff from 1879 to 1880, Ruben Thomas conducted Maricopa County's onlylegal execution, according to Arizona Fraternal Order of Police. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Sheriff at Rio Arriba Sheriffs Office Espanola, New Mexico, United States. Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. Im not from New York," Navarrette said. During opening statements at the trial in 1st Judicial District Court in Tierra Amarilla on Wednesday, attorneys pointed fingers at who they said were the bad apples in the case: Lujan or the officers responding to the warrants for the fugitive Lujan is accused of harboring. Lattin was previously disciplined and fired from the Taos Police Department for telling officers he served as an active-duty military member, but he never did. Espaola Police arrested Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan on Thursday after he refused to unlock and turn over his phone to responding officers. I am extremely satisfied with the conviction, Reeb said following the verdict. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan, already a convicted felon, pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge accusing him of interfering with a March 2020 operation by Espaola police. Reeb said earlier this month it was while investigating this misdemeanor case in which Lujan showed up drunk at Chacons house as police were executing a search warrant and tried to take charge that she discovered the information used to convict Lujan in the felony case. ESPAOLA - Attorneys have taken an initial step toward suing the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office, which is accused of retaliating against a journalist as she reported on use of force at a . When the ASU officer confronted the off-duty deputy about driving under the influence, video obtained by NBC affiliate KPNX showed Navarrette admitting that he was, saying, "Yeah, but I'm also a police officer.". Reeb has filed a brief in favor of drawing jurors only from Santa Fe County. Cochiti St NE. [WARNING: The video below contains police violence and graphic language]. However, none of the officers claimed to have their body cameras rolling, despite recording hours of footage leading up to the search and immediately recording video after hes placed into handcuffs. Hill established psychiatric units in jails, as well as built the Towers Jail and the Bell/Dysart Substation and jail. Multiple people in the community echoed Saucedos feelings that justice had been served in this instance, as did Reeb. While at UNM, he worked the New Mexico Daily Lobo, serving as both sports and managing editor. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Aug. 20A state district judge ruled Friday that Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan is too well-known in the county to stand trial there and a criminal case against him will be heard, instead, in Santa Fe. ALBUQUERQUEU.S. Create a password that only you will remember. In 2004, Agnos was found dead, the cause being a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 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