Supreme Court halts citizen-led grand juries to probe governor (NM - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D))

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | November 19, 2021 | Dan Boyd

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Supreme Court has granted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s request to halt at least three attempts to convene citizen-led grand juries for the purpose of investigating the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petitions to convene citizen grand juries – filed in Eddy, Lea and Chaves counties – mark the latest challenges to the governor’s use of emergency public health orders to require face-mask wearing and impose business capacity limits in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

New Mexico is one of just a few states that allows for citizen grand jury proceedings, which under the state Constitution require a certain number of voter signatures be provided in order for a judge to convene such a grand jury.

Grand juries are typically used by prosecutors in order to indict individuals for alleged criminal wrongdoing.

Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, was one of several individuals leading the push for the little-known citizen grand juries to investigate alleged “malfeasance” on the governor’s part. But he said his involvement in the effort was as a citizen, not in his role as state senator.

He also expressed frustration at the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision this week to grant the Governor’s Office’s request for a stay – or hold – on the petitions pending further court filings.

“You would think at some point in time the people could be heard,” Gallegos told the Journal.

[CedarDave]

Democrats hold all the seats on the NM Supreme Court. Mask mandates continue in NM and health care workers must all be vaccinated or lose their jobs.

The three counties filing the petitions are all located in southeast New Mexico and comprise the heart of the oil and gas sector in the state, which the governor is trying to destroy with more and more stringent regulations.

[Don Corleone]

NM is about 90 percent a socialist dictatorship, like Australia, IMHO.

[Jim W N]

Supreme Court halts citizen-led grand juries to probe governor

On what grounds? If all the prosecutors are Leftist, where's the balance of power?

[keving]

Does the state constitution like the federal: A presentment is a charge the grand jury brings on its own initiative. In contrast, an indictment is almost always first drawn up by a prosecutor and then submitted to the grand jury for approval. In federal courts, a presentment cannot by itself initiate a prosecution.

[CedarDave]

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[Jim W N]

A presentment is a charge the grand jury brings on its own initiative.

Be nice if NM Constitution allowed that. If so, can't imagine what invented grounds the NMSC used.

[fella]

Bought and paid for justice means no justice at all.

[wjcsux]

If we could grow bananas, we would be a perfect 3rd world banana republic.

[kaktuskid]

Maybe Eastern NM should petition to join Texas