High court accepts discipline of Magistrate Garza

Posted 6/12/2006 02:34:00 PM

The New Mexico Supreme Court formally disciplined Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza last week after he admitted to interfering in a case involving a woman with whom he had a personal relationship.

Garza and the Judicial Standards Commission had already agreed to a formal reprimand, six months supervised probation, formal mentorship and a $600 reimbursement of the cost of the commission’s investigation, but the agreement awaited high-court approval.

Late last week, justices approved the agreement, but not before asking some tough questions of Garza. He is the third judge from Doña Ana County to be disciplined in recent months for improperly involving himself in a case in which he had a personal interest.

The other two, Magistrate Judge Susana Chaparro and District Judge Larry Ramirez, resigned from the bench after other allegations came to light.

Garza admitted to improperly involving himself in the drunken driving case against the woman. He contacted two other magistrate judges assigned to the case at different times to discuss it with them and, in at least one instance, asked one of them to set a low bond or no bond.