Free Republic

When Kit Laney answered a knock on his door Saturday, law enforcement officers from the U.S. Forest Service handed him a piece of paper announcing his Diamond Bar Ranch in southwest New Mexico would be shut down Wednesday and his 300 head of cattle grazing there would be removed – one way or the other. Other Forest Service officials were busy nailing similar notices on fence posts along the highway and informing neighbors that after Feb. 11, they should not attempt to enter the Diamond Bar property. Laney was not surprised. He knew someday there would be an on-the-ground confrontation...

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday released a scathing report in response to a series of deadly police shootings that pointed to patterns of excessive force by the Albuquerque Police Department, serious constitutional violations and a lack of training and oversight of its officers. After more than a year of reviewing hundreds of cases handled by the Albuquerque police, the federal agency found that officers too frequently used deadly force on people "who posed a minimal threat" and used a higher level of force too often on those with mental illness.

Attorneys for the Reese family filed a petition for rehearing en banc Tuesday in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver. This latest move by the defense challenges a March 19 decision by a three judge panel overturning a District Court decision that the family of former gun dealers merited a new trial based on the prosecution withholding evidence that a witness had been the subject of a criminal investigation. The panel’s ruling last month was another in a series of setbacks for a family that has endured an ordeal approaching three years. Arrested in...

On 31 March, the U.S. District Court for New Mexico ruled that legal immigrants have the same right to obtain a concealed carry permit as citizens.   The equal protection clause mandates that legally residing residents be treated the same under the law.  From Jurist.org: BELLEVUE, WA – The chief U.S. District Court judge in New Mexico today granted a permanent injunction against the State of New Mexico’s “citizens only” concealed carry law that unfairly discriminated against permanent legal resident aliens in a case brought by the Second Amendment Foundation. The Second Amendment Foundation backed the lawsuit  From the Washington...

Attorneys for the Reese family filed a petition for rehearing en banc Tuesday in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver. This latest move by the defense challenges a March 19 decision by a three judge panel overturning a District Court decision that the family of former gun dealers merited a new trial based on the prosecution withholding evidence that a witness had been the subject of a criminal investigation. The panel’s ruling last month was another in a series of setbacks for a family that has endured an ordeal approaching three years. Arrested in...

When this case first appeared, at the height of the first exposure of  the Fast and Furious scandal, it was highlighted as an example of smuggling to the Mexican cartels that was *not* a part of the operation.    It might or might not be significant that the BATFE agent quoted in the article is William Newell, who had a significant role in Fast and Furious, and whose testimony before congress became infamous. Now, one of the victims of the prosecution is able to tell a bit of his story.   He was never allowed bail from the time he was...

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's highest court has legalized same-sex marriage, declaring it is unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples. The state Supreme Court issued its ruling Thursday. New Mexico joins 16 states and the District of Columbia in allowing gay marriage. Eight of the state's 33 counties have started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples since August, when a county clerk in southern New Mexico independently decided to allow the unions.

SANTA FE – The New Mexico State Police officer who fired shots at a van full of children while their mother was fleeing a traffic stop near Taos in late October has been fired. State Police spokesman Lt. Emmanuel Gutierrez said that officer Elias Montoya, who was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday, was terminated from his position as of Friday. Gutierrez said he had confirmed the firing with State Police Chief Pete Kassetas. Gutierrez declined further comment “until all appeals have been exhausted ... The video of the incident received national media attention ... Media legal analysts weighed in,...

You've never seen hot air balloons like this before! A couple of weeks ago, Albuquerque, New Mexico held its 42nd annual International Balloon Fiesta. It's a 9-day event where over 700 balloons see liftoff. It's the largest hot air balloon festival in the entire world and we were on hand to capture the action. Turn the Volume up, HD on and enjoy this Balloon Fiesta Experience! *if you are capable of watching in a higher resolution than 1080p choose original as this film was finished in 4k* Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. The Alarm goes off at 4 am. Time to get...

A third New Mexico resident is claiming that she was physically abused by police and medical staff who exceeded their authority to search for drugs she never had. The woman’s attorney came forward with her story just a few days after a local news channel reported similar stories involving New Mexico police forcing two suspects to undergo invasive surgery to prove they weren’t carrying drugs. Police used expired and nonexistent warrants to justify the improper and unethical searches, according to KOB-TV 4. The unnamed woman is being represented by Laura Schaur Ives of the New Mexico chapter of the American...

A man in New Mexico was pulled over by police for a minor traffic violation. When officers said a K-9 unit sniffed drugs on the driver’s seat, the officers forced the man to undergo invasive medical procedures, including an anal exam. It may sound nearly identical to David Eckert’s nightmarish story as reported by TheBlaze Tuesday, but this is an entirely different incident. It does, however, involve the same uncertified drug-sniffing dog in New Mexico. The dog’s name is Leo. Police in Lordsburg, N.M., pulled over Timothy Young for allegedly turning without using his blinker, according to police reports. Though...

When New Mexico police stopped a local driver for committing a minor moving violation, they decided to check whether he was carrying drugs in his anus. So they procured a warrant, drove him to two different hospitals, forced him to endure eight medical procedures — including an invasive colonoscopy — and stuck him with the bill. No drugs were found. According to medical records, police reports and a federal lawsuit obtained by KOB-TV, police held Eckert until they were able to procure a warrant from a judge to search the man’s anal cavity. They then drove him to a nearby...

A Texas woman, who survived a gruesome auto accident in January because a trio of soldiers stopped to help her, was thrilled at the chance to personally thank them for their heroism, she tells Yahoo Shine. More on Shine: Heart Attack Survivor Meets Mystery Hero Who Saved His Life “It meant the world to be able to do that,” Linda Hartman, 37, says. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. My kids wouldn’t have a mom. My husband wouldn’t have a wife. My parents wouldn’t have a daughter. My siblings wouldn’t have a sister. I think about that...

In a historic effort to become the first city in America to ban late-term abortions beginning at 20 weeks after fertilization, the campaign “ABQ Voters For Late-Term Abortion Ban” launches today. On November 19, the citizens of Albuquerque will cast their votes on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance, which is supported by 54% of the people, according to a recent ABQ Journal poll. A grassroots coalition gathered 27,000 signatures in just 20 days to place this ordinance on the ballot. “While putting forth this ordinance has been a local grass-roots effort, this election has important national implications. We...

Adding to an ordeal that’s dragged on for two years, the embattled Reese family is now facing the withdrawal of their attorneys due to compensation issues, a source close to the case told Gun Rights Examiner yesterday. Such a move, which may have already happened by this writing, will leave the defendants with no choice but to file affidavits claiming indigence so that they can obtain a public defender or a court-appointed lawyer. Arrested in 2011 for allegedly knowingly selling guns to cartel members while operating a New Mexico gun store, all Reese family members were found not guilty on...

TUCUMCARI, N.M. - Most Presidential libraries are constructed after the President completes his term. However, according to KOAT-ABC, a New Mexico man has determined the location for President Obama's library and has marked it with a sign that is sparking controversy in one small town. The sign rests on top of an outhouse. It reads: Obama's Presidential Library. Some in town view the sign as bad taste while others are supportive. One man told a local reporter that folks are treating it as a tourist destination and that it is frequently photographed. The man responsible for the sign would not...

Around 5 a.m. Friday, a bear was spotted on Casa Loma. A resident told Action 7 News that the bear was somewhat hostile and trying to make contact with a person. A few hours later, the bear was still around the neighborhood. The bear became aggressive and was shot by a homeowner around 7 a.m.

A man roused from his sleep by an intruder hid in a bathroom and called police before confronting the intruder and shooting him in his home in west Albuquerque on Thursday afternoon, police said. The wounded intruder was able to make his way to the resident’s backyard, where he collapsed on the homeowner’s lawn, Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik said. The suspected intruder was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital in critical condition, but he was expected to survive, Drobik said. No identities were being released. A neighbor said the resident appeared to be middle-aged. Police were also looking...

In the Tampa Tribune  there is a long, interesting article about a young man walking across the U.S.A.  It was a very positive experience for him.   About halfway through, he casually mentions that he had to use a previously concealed weapon to stop an attack: In Albuquerque, N.M., he was approached by a half-dozen members of a street gang, who began yelling at him to get off their sidewalk. They got belligerent, refusing to let him pass. “They just exploded in anger,” he said. He was reluctant to say what exactly happened next. “I have a concealed weapons permit,” was...

In a series of mixed but mostly negative legal messages for embattled defendants Rick, Terri and Ryin Reese, Judge Robert C. Brack of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico issued rulings last Tuesday on multiple motions related to the case. Arrested almost two years ago for allegedly knowingly selling guns to cartel members while operating a New Mexico gun store, all Reese family members were found not guilty on the most serious charges of conspiracy. Additionally and significantly, money laundering charges against them were dismissed. Husband Rick, wife Terri and son Ryin were convicted on...