Urge NM Legislators to use the Special Session to reduce crime now. We cannot afford to wait!
Repeat offenders are destroying our communities and way of life. Over the last 5 years since bail reform was implemented, New Mexico’s justice system has become a revolving door. Our criminal justice system is failing our communities as well as those with mental health problems and/or drug addiction. Many repeat offenders are deemed “incompetent” to stand trial so they are just released back onto the streets, where they commit crime after crime after crime. For instance, one of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces has over 120+ charges for aggravated assault, drug dealing (meth), battery, trespassing, shoplifting, and more.
Although legislators have sought to correct the crime problems for years, it hasn’t yet happened. The July 18 Legislature Special Session is a unique opportunity for the NM Legislature to prioritize Bills that will help the crime situation. The New Mexico legislature must enact laws to allow “incompetent” offenders to be directed into treatment, for the good of all. Some of the laws being proposed for the special session include:
- COMPETENCY BILL – Requiring judges to hold the defendant for up to seven days and requiring the DA to file a petition for involuntary civil commitment under at least one of the following three circumstances: serious violent offense, felony involving the use of a firearm, or defendant has been found incompetent two or more times in the previous 12 months
- INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT - This bill would broaden the definitions of danger to self and danger to others in the involuntary commitment statue.
- FELON IN POSSESSION - This bill would increase penalties and impose a mandatory minimum sentence of nine years imprisonment for felons in possession of a firearm, making state law more-consistent with Federal law.
- MEDIAN/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY - This bill would make it illegal to loiter on a median 36 inches or narrower in areas where the speed limit is 30 mph or more.
Both Democrat and Republican legislators are criticizing the Special Session and focusing on areas of disagreement instead of commonality. It is time to change focus in order to make the session as effective as possible. Let’s urge our Legislators to stop politicizing the issues and find common ground so that our communities and our state can survive.
Fill out the form to quickly and easily email the NM Legislators to work together on the Special Session.
Urge NM Legislators to use the Special Session to reduce crime now. We cannot afford to wait!
Repeat offenders are destroying our communities and way of life. Over the last 5 years since bail reform was implemented, New Mexico’s justice system has become a revolving door. Our criminal justice system is failing our communities as well as those with mental health problems and/or drug addiction. Many repeat offenders are deemed “incompetent” to stand trial so they are just released back onto the streets, where they commit crime after crime after crime. For instance, one of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces has over 120+ charges for aggravated assault, drug dealing (meth), battery, trespassing, shoplifting, and more.
Although legislators have sought to correct the crime problems for years, it hasn’t yet happened. The July 18 Legislature Special Session is a unique opportunity for the NM Legislature to prioritize Bills that will help the crime situation. The New Mexico legislature must enact laws to allow “incompetent” offenders to be directed into treatment, for the good of all. Some of the laws being proposed for the special session include:
- COMPETENCY BILL – Requiring judges to hold the defendant for up to seven days and requiring the DA to file a petition for involuntary civil commitment under at least one of the following three circumstances: serious violent offense, felony involving the use of a firearm, or defendant has been found incompetent two or more times in the previous 12 months
- INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT - This bill would broaden the definitions of danger to self and danger to others in the involuntary commitment statue.
- FELON IN POSSESSION - This bill would increase penalties and impose a mandatory minimum sentence of nine years imprisonment for felons in possession of a firearm, making state law more-consistent with Federal law.
- MEDIAN/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY - This bill would make it illegal to loiter on a median 36 inches or narrower in areas where the speed limit is 30 mph or more.
Both Democrat and Republican legislators are criticizing the Special Session and focusing on areas of disagreement instead of commonality. It is time to change focus in order to make the session as effective as possible. Let’s urge our Legislators to stop politicizing the issues and find common ground so that our communities and our state can survive.
Fill out the form to quickly and easily email the NM Legislators to work together on the Special Session.