Judge John Sanchez of Los Lunas, NM; nepotism, repeat offender

The state of New Mexico presented James Lawrence Sanchez with a law license in 1994 after he graduated from the University of New Mexico Law School.

Gov. Susana Martinez was duped into appointing Johnny as a Valencia County Magistrate Judge in Los Lunas in 2012. Johnny didn’t receive the appointment because he was the most qualified attorney in the greater Valencia County area. He received it because she had proven to be a reliable lackey for the local political hacks.

The Judicial Standards Commission found Judge Sanchez guilty of the following misconduct.

Johnny’s 1^st bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

In one matter,Johnny involved himself in the pending criminal case of a close friend. Johnny’s improper involvement and misconduct was as follows:

• Spoke with the  arresting officer by phone during the traffic stop/arrest
• Personally, appeared at the Valencia County Adult Detention Center and ordered that his friend be released from jail
• After obtaining friends release from jail, took him to her home
• Spoke with registered nurse and asked him to draw independent blood sample for his friend
• Johnny had at least one alcoholic drink before going to the jail to order the release of his friend
• Failed to avoid the appearance of impropriety
• Failed to perform judicial duties impartially
• Failed to act with due diligence (slacker)
• Failed to recuse himself when recusal was mandatory
• Engaged in extra-judicial activities that conflicted with his judicial obligations

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the apologists for Judicial Misfits sitting on the New Mexico Supreme Court punished Johnny by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.

Johnny’s 2^nd bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

• Failed uphold integrity of the judiciary (What integrity?)
• Failed to avoid appearance of impropriety
• Failed to act faithful to the law
• Engaged in illegal ex parte (one-sided) communications
• Failed to comply with guidelines for mandatory filing of traffic record cases
• Failed to maintain/exhibit competence in the law (imbecile)
• Failed to impose mandatory minimum sentences in traffic cases

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the apologists for Judicial Misfits sitting on the New Mexico Supreme Court punished Johnny by gifting him with a complimentary censure.

As we speak (ca. May 2017), Johnny continues to sit as a Valencia County Magistrate Judge in Los Lunas, New Mexico.