The District Attorney oversees the office that prosecutes and defends for the state in county courts, including civil and criminal cases in which the state or county has an interest, represents the county before the county commissioners, advises county and state officers upon request, and represents the county in civil cases in higher courts, except in suits brought in the name of the state. Elected for a four-year term.
Campaign Phone
505-464-9872
Occupation
District Attorney
I have practiced law in New Mexico for more than 30 years at the local and federal level, and have been involved in thousands of cases, trying cases in front of more than 100 juries. I proudly began my career as an Assistant District Attorney in Bernalillo County, where I advocated for victims of crime and held offenders accountable. Currently, I have served as District Attorney for over 15 months, managing a staff of nearly 300 professionals who dedicate their lives to fighting for justice.
The safety of Bernalillo County is and always will be my top priority. Since becoming District Attorney, my office has tried more cases and has held more violent criminals accountable than this office has in the last five years. If elected, I will continue focusing on keeping violent people detained as their cases progress through the justice system. We also need to address the fentanyl crisis plaguing our community by working with community partners and securing more resources for treatment.
In Bernalillo County, we receive over 14,000 new cases a year, many of them involving repeat offenders. Those cases that involve non-violent crimes stemming from drug addiction, we try to divert into treatment programs. In 2023, we diverted over 2,500 people into treatment programs; most in the history of the office. For violent criminals – since becoming District Attorney – the pretrial detention rate in Bernalillo County has increased by 10%, keeping more violent offenders in jail.
In the 16 months that I have been District Attorney, my office has hired over 50 attorneys, who come from both in and out of state. Our tactics to attract attorneys who are best-suited for our office include providing incentives, competitive salary, regular employee appreciation, and providing extensive trial experience. Attorneys who begin a career at my office receive one-on-one training that is strategic and unmatched, compared to any other training for new attorneys in the state.
As District Attorney, I talk and meet with people on a daily basis. This includes conversations with colleagues, law enforcement, victims of crime, and many others. I have learned that having a dialogue is essential. I focus on listening and hearing their concerns in order to work together towards accomplishing common goals. It is especially important for the District Attorney to not only listen and meet with people, but also make an effort to gain an understanding of their perspectives.
I have made Albuquerque my home for over 40 years. My wife and I have raised three wonderful children here and I am a new grandfather to two fantastic grandbabies. I am a huge baseball and Houston Astros fan. I love my community and I love my job. I work with over 300 fantastic personnel, and two victim support dogs, Rosie and Woodstock. The people I work with every day are dedicated to making the community a safer and a better place, and so am I.
