I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Attorney General Gary King petitioned the New Mexico Supreme Court to remove Carol Sloan from the state Public Regulation Commission (PRC), just hours after Sloan was sentenced to supervised probation and a suspended sentence of five years.
Sloan was convicted April 8 of felony charges of aggravated battery and aggravated burglary, in a case stemming from Sloan’s belief that another woman was having an affair with her husband.
Sloan faced 12 years in prison but will not be incarcerated. She must pay $3,500 in fines and court costs.
“My office petitioned the Court for Carol Sloan’s removal based on grounds that she was convicted on April 8, 2010 of Aggravated Burglary, a second degree felony, and Aggravated Battery, a third degree felony,” King said Thursday. “Today she was sentenced for those crimes which, according to New Mexico law, means she can no longer remain in public office.”
The New Mexico Constitution and state laws prohibit convicted felons from holding public office, King said.
The matter is now out of the PRC’s hands, Sloan’s colleagues said Thursday afternoon.
“The AG has put it to the Supreme Court,” Commissioner Jason Marks said. “They will make the correct decision under New Mexico law.”
“Our attorneys tell me that while it’s on appeal, it will be in abeyance, but I’m not an attorney,” PRC Chairman David King told The Independent.
PRC Chairman David King is a first cousin of Attorney General Gary King.
“Our attorneys are looking at it,” David King said. “We’ll wait and see. I talked to (Sloan) earlier today and she feels like she hasn’t had a fair hearing. She wasn’t allowed to explain everything at the District Court level and needs to have an opportunity to have that heard.”
Sloan and her staff could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
