[NM] Police Sgt. LeBlanc's 3rd DV charge (THIS ONE AGAINST HIS MOTHER) thrown out - THANKS TO FELLOW OFFICER'S no-show in court?

...The May incident marked the third time [Santa Fe Police Sgt. Michael] LeBlanc — who most recently headed the department's property crimes unit — has been charged with domestic violence since 2004... Only one of two witnesses — both police officers — were present for trial and the state needed both to proceed... " How many times can the Santa Fe Police Department turn its head, pretending it just doesn't see?..."

Previous post:
[NM] Another dv battery charge for Narcotics Chief LeBlanc - Saturday, August 18, 2007

OFFICER'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE THROWN OUT
Witness doesn't show up to trial; sergeant could be back to work soon
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Jason Auslander
Friday, November 13, 2009
[Excerpts] A Santa Fe police officer on leave since May after drawing his third domestic violence charge in five years hopes to be back to work soon, his lawyer said Friday, after the latest case against him was dismissed this week... An Albuquerque Metropolitan Court judge dismissed a domestic violence charge against LeBlanc on Thursday when a witness didn't show up for trial... Only one of two witnesses — both police officers — were present for trial and the state needed both to proceed... The department's internal investigation into the incident should be completed soon, now that the criminal case is over, Police Chief Aric Wheeler said Friday... The May incident marked the third time LeBlanc — who most recently headed the department's property crimes unit — has been charged with domestic violence since 2004. He entered the Metro Court's Domestic Violence Early Intervention Program in February 2008 after he was charged with misdemeanor battery on a household member for allegedly punching his estranged wife... He successfully completed the year-long program, after which the charges were dismissed... The victim in the latest incident was LeBlanc's mother... The officer's mother was not cooperative with prosecutors... LeBlanc was charged with battery on a household member in 2004 in Rio Rancho... He allegedly used an "arm bar" — also known as a "law enforcement escort technique"... He received a deferred sentenced for the 2004 charge, and the charges were dismissed six months later, according to court records...... [Full article here]

FROM ARTICLE'S COMMENTS:

• Hah! If he acts aggresively towards his mother how is he going to act towards citizens he pulls over? He will get his job back...
• ...What a complete shame! Why has this officer been allowed to even stay on the police department? Its pretty dang bad when you own mother calls the police on you for domestic violence. Did you relly expect his mother to testify against him in court?? Fire that abuser!!

FROM MAY:

S.F. POLICE OFFICER UNDER INVESTIGATION
The Santa Fe New Mexican and wire services
May 30, 2009
[Excerpts] Santa Fe Police Sgt. Michael LeBlanc is in trouble again. Deputy Police Chief Aric Wheeler said Thursday that the detective in charge of the property crimes unit is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into new domestic violence charges by Albuquerque police... This time, his mother, Leah LeBlanc, called police to say that her son acted aggressively toward her during an argument... Albuquerque Officer A.D. Chavez reported that LeBlanc, who had driven to his mother's apartment in his unmarked police car, admitted to kicking a cup of soda in his mother's direction... Last year, he agreed to enter a domestic-violence "early intervention program" in order to defer a judgment on charges that he battered his estranged wife.... [Full article here]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR THE NEXT DAY:
BLIND JUSTICE
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Posted: Monday, June 01, 2009
[Excerpts] " ... How many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn't see?" Bob Dylan's lyrics apply to the situation of Santa Fe Police Sgt. Michael LeBlanc, who has been charged — again — with domestic violence. To date, the Santa Fe Police Department has failed to take away his badge... How many times can an officer be charged, and not lose his badge? How many times can the Santa Fe Police Department turn its head, pretending it just doesn't see?... [Full item here]

COMMENT LEFT ON TOPIX "THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN FORUM"
Raises on tap for city police
Sgt Gillian Alessio, Albuquerque, NM
Aug 6, 2009
[Excerpts] I'm reading all the negative comments about the SFPD. I am a SFPD sergeant. People who have never worked in law enforcement do not understand how and why it works... We give up what people cherish the most: Christmas with our families, Thanksgiving, our childrens' plays, parent teacher meetings and birthdays. We give it up to keep our city and its citizens safe. If the people writing these blogs see it another way, I suggest they come ride along with our officers on some busy Saturday night. Watch us get battered and spat upon and treated like garbage because we are trying to keep them safe and uphold the law... Go to the academy. Work on the streets for 10 years for a community you care about. Then maybe, your opinions will matter.... [Full item here]

EXCERPTS FROM 2007 NEWS:

ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE THE NORM FOR SUSPECT OFFICERS
Santa Fe sergeant on active duty despite domestic violence charge
Leave: Police chief says officer faces some restrictions
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Jason Auslander
Aug 18, 2007
[Excerpts] At least four area law enforcement agencies would remove a police officer from active duty if the officer was charged with domestic violence. However, Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Johnson said Friday that he was sticking with his decision to let his department's head of burglary/narcotics, Sgt. Michael LeBlanc, continue working despite being charged with misdemeanor battery on a household member this week in Albuquerque... "I have placed some restrictions on him, but I can't talk about them because of personnel issues." LeBlanc, 34, was charged Monday in Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque based on an argument with his wife July 27. An Albuquerque police officer took pictures of bruises on LeBlanc's wife's arm and thigh from that incident... Also, court records show LeBlanc was charged with battery on a household member and assault on a household member in Sandoval County Magistrate Court in 2004. He received a deferred sentence at that time, and the charges were dismissed six months later... LeBlanc was not arrested either time he was charged with domestic violence...

S.F. NARCOTICS CHIEF ACCUSED OF BATTERY
It's the second time in 3 1/2 years, officer has faced domestic-violence counts.
The Alburqurque Journal
By Bruce Daniels
Thursday, 16 August 2007 01:59
[Excerpts] Sgt. Michael LeBlanc, current head of the Santa Fe Police Department's burglary/narcotics unit, was charged this week with a misdemeanor domestic violence count of battery of a household member... It was, according to court records, the second time in the past 3 1/2 years that LeBlanc has been charged with domestic violence... The complaint also alleges that [Santa Fe Police Sgt. Michael] LeBlanc pushed his estranged wife up against a wall three days after the July 22 incident... LeBlanc was not arrested... His wife filed for divorce in Albuquerque on Aug. 8... LeBlanc was charged with battery on a household member in 2004 in which he was accused of walking the mother of his older daughter away from his home using a 
police technique 
known as an "arm-bar," and 
of threatening to shoot the pregnant woman in the stomach... LeBlanc, who denied making the threat or brandishing a weapon, was given a deferred sentence at the time and after six months the charges were dismissed... LeBlanc replaced Sgt. Steve Altonji, who was put on leave early this year after the U.S. Attorney's Office notified Santa Fe police that Altonji was the target of a federal grand jury investigation at the beginning of the year, The New Mexican said. Police Chief Eric Johnson told The New Mexican that LeBlanc will not be placed on administrative leave because the allegations against him are not as serious as those against Altonji....

POLICE TRY SHIFT IN TACTICS TO BOOST DRUG ARRESTS
Buglaries rise, drug arrests drop as police struggle to regroup after the loss of indicted narcotics agents
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Jason Auslander
December 16, 2007 -
[Excerpt] ...Rio Rancho police charged LeBlanc with domestic violence in July after an incident with his estranged wife — the second time in 31/2 years he has faced a domestic violence charge. LeBlanc, who is still head of burglary/narcotics, is set to go to trial on the latest domestic violence charge Jan. 8, according to the Albuquerque Metropolitan Court Web site...

EXCERPTS FROM 2008 NEWS:

COP ENTERS OFFENDERS PROGRAM
Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, N.M.
Vic Vela
Feb 20, 2008
[Excerpts] A Santa Fe police detective accused of battery against his estranged wife entered into a domestic violence program on Tuesday, forgoing a scheduled jury trial... [Sgt. Michael LeBlanc's attorney Monica Baca] said after Tuesday's hearing that if her client successfully completes the court's Domestic Violence Early Intervention Program, the matter will be considered resolved...

LeBlanc's wife told Albuquerque police that she was afraid of him because he had hit her in the past and that he, as an officer, had weapons inside the home... 

The incident marked the second time since 2004 that LeBlanc has been accused of a crime against a household member... LeBlanc was charged with battery on a household member and assault on a household member in Sandoval County Magistrate Court after a February 2004 incident involving LeBlanc and the mother of his older daughter. LeBlanc said the girl's mother was not providing an appropriate home for his daughter and forced the woman off his property... Charges were later dropped in that case after LeBlanc received a six-month deferred sentence. LeBlanc currently heads Santa Fe Police Department's property crimes unit and has remained on active duty since the 2007 charge was filed...

PROBE TARGETS SFPD SERGEANT OVER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Spokespeople: LeBlanc joins intervention program; certification could be revoked
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Jason Auslander
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
[Excerpts]  The state Law Enforcement Academy is investigating the head of the Santa Fe Police Department's property crimes unit for two incidents of domestic violence since 2004. That's according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Peter Olson, who said Wednesday that Sgt. Michael LeBlanc's police officer certification could be revoked by the Law Enforcement Academy Board if the allegations are substantiated... Because the previous domestic violence charge against LeBlanc was dismissed after six months and he received a deferred sentence, he is considered a first-time offender... Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Johnson said Wednesday that his staff is in the process of obtaining the paperwork about LeBlanc's case, and the police chief didn't yet know how the department will deal with it... Johnson took no action against LeBlanc in August when the charge was filed despite the fact a domestic violence hearing officer issued a yearlong restraining order requiring LeBlanc to stay away from his estranged wife. Those with protection orders against them cannot carry firearms, though federal law contains an exception for law-enforcement officers, Santa Fe's domestic-violence hearing officer Margaret Kegel has said. LeBlanc was charged with battery on a household member in 2004 as well... At that time,
LeBlanc refused to return his daughter to her mother because he felt she wasn't providing an appropriate home environment... Olson said the Law Enforcement Academy is looking into both domestic violence incidents in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office. Once the facts are known, the cases will be presented to the Law Enforcement Academy Board, which will decide if LeBlanc can keep his certification... Olson said he did not know when that might occur...


UPDATE:

"...and the charge was dismissed."

EX-DETECTIVE BANNED FROM POLICE WORK
The Santa Fe New Mexican
June 15, 2010 12:00 am
[Excerpts] The New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board voted unanimously Tuesday to revoke the certification of a former Santa Fe police detective [Jose Valencia] for life... The board also suspended for 30 days the certification of former Detective Michael LeBlanc — who headed the department's property crimes unit — because of three separate domestic violence incidents between 2004 and 2009, said Art Ortiz, director of the Law Enforcement Academy... As for LeBlanc, a different hearing officer recommended that LeBlanc lose his certification for 30 days. Ortiz recommended six months. The latest charge against LeBlanc occurred in May 2009, when LeBlanc's mother called 911 and reported that her son acted aggressively toward her during an argument. LeBlanc later admitted kicking a cup of soda in his mother's direction. That charge was dismissed in November after only one of two police officers involved in the case showed up for court. LeBlanc was charged with misdemeanor battery on a household member in February 2008 after he allegedly punched his estranged wife in the arm and thigh during an argument. He successfully completed a year-long domestic-violence program run by Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque, and the charge was dismissed. The first domestic violence charge occurred in 2004 in Rio Rancho, when LeBlanc allegedly refused to return his older daughter to her mother because he felt his ex wasn't providing an appropriate home environment. LeBlanc escorted the woman from his property using a law-enforcement technique called an "arm bar." LeBlanc was on administrative leave with pay for nearly a year before he was fired last month... Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or jauslander@sfnewmexican.com. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement intimate partner abuse public safety personnel teflon policy preferential treatment hx history lethal repeat brutal police technique]

[NM] Another dv battery charge for Narcotics Chief LeBlanc

Narcotics chief faces battery charge
Santa Fe police sergeant remains on duty pending domestic violence allegation
Santa Fe New Mexican
By Jason Auslander
August 15, 2007 - [EXCERPTS] The current head of the Santa Fe Police Department's burglary-narcotics unit was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence this week... Sgt. Michael LeBlanc... - remains on duty... "We haven't heard anything yet to make us put him on leave," [Police chief Eric] Johnson said. "If he's not restricted from carrying a firearm and being that this comes from a domestic situation where he's going through a divorce, my guess is his duty situation won't change unless he violates (the restraining order)"... LeBlanc's stipulated restraining order makes no mention of firearms... The latest charge of battery on a household member against LeBlanc occurred July 22, when he allegedly punched his wife in the left arm and left thigh... He also allegedly pushed her against a wall three days later... His wife told an Albuquerque police officer that "she is afraid of Michael due to the fact that Michael has hit her in the past … and (she) kept saying that she is very afraid of Michael due to the fact that he has weapons inside the house," the complaint says. An investigator took pictures of bruises... LeBlanc was not arrested after the incident... In 2004, LeBlanc was charged with battery on a household member and assault on a household member... between LeBlanc and the mother of his older daughter... LeBlanc refused to return the girl to her mother because he felt she wasn't providing an appropriate home environment... LeBlanc used an "arm-bar" - described in the report as "a law enforcement escort technique" - to walk her off his property... The woman, who was pregnant, also said LeBlanc threatened to shoot her in the stomach, according to the report... LeBlanc received a deferred sentence at the time, and the charges were dismissed six months later...

[NM] New Mexico Passes HB 17 - Those convicted of domestic violence can't become officers

...State law requires a police officer’s certification be revoked if he is convicted — or in some cases merely accused - of drunk driving, theft or aggravated assault. It does not, however, specify that domestic violence is a crime demanding an officer’s dismissal... The House approved HB 17, which would prohibit people with domestic violence offenses from serving as police officers... The vote in favor of the HB 17 followed a lengthy debate that was kicked off by Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, who said the bill would disqualify someone for shaking their finger at their spouse... Rep. Powdrell-Culbert, R-Corrales, said HB 17 was “a needless piece of legislation”... 

The state police is the only police agency so far to publicly support the law change. “Police officers require a higher standard,” NMSP Major Robert Shilling tells SFR. “All we have is our integrity”...

REP. NATE COTE


WORKING BACKWARDS CHRONOLOGICALLY:

LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP FEB. 11, 2010
The New Mexican and wire services
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - 2/1
Domestic violence offenders: A memorial (HM 58) introduced by Rep. Nate Cote, D-Las Cruces, would explore possible actions against state workers besides police officers who have domestic violence convictions. The move comes after the House approved HB 17, which would prohibit people with domestic violence offenses from serving as police officers. Cote said that measure wasn't intended to single out law-enforcement officers, and he decided to work with the Domestic Violence Leadership Commission "to identify and analyze instances where domestic violence might affect other professions that are licensed or certified by the state." The commission also would study the consequences of a domestic violence conviction on professional certification and identify whether other states impose such restrictions or decertification on these other professions. [LINK]

LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP FEB. 9, 2010
The New Mexican
Monday, February 08, 2010 - 2/9
Domestic violence measure: The House has approved legislation (HB 17) that prohibits domestic-violence offenders from becoming law-enforcement officers within three years of a violation. The bill also means police who commit such offenses could lose certification. "This bill brings the New Mexico Law Enforcement Act into compliance with federal law and expands on the law to include violence on all household members, including aggravated stalking and damage of property," said Rep. Nate Cote, D-Las Cruces, the measure's sponsor. "Right now, if a police officer is convicted of domestic violence, they're not allowed to carry a gun or serve as a policeman for a three-year period. This is a progressive step in fighting domestic violence in this state, yet it acknowledges law enforcement as first responders and the difficult job they do have in carrying out their duties." [LINK]

HOUSE VOTES TO DISQUALIFY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDERS FROM POLICE FORCE
New Mexico Independent
By Marjorie Childress and Patricia Sauthoff
2/8/10 6:16 PM Digg Tweet
[Excerpts] Anyone convicted of domestic violence in the previous three years would be disqualified from being hired as a police officer if legislation passed by the House Monday becomes law. The bill also adds conviction of the crime as grounds for suspending or revoking a police officer’s certification. The vote in favor of the HB 17 followed a lengthy debate that was kicked off by Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, who said the bill would disqualify someone for shaking their finger at their spouse. “Someone would lose their livelihood for shaking their finger at their wife,” he said. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Nate Cote, D-Doña Ana, disagreed, saying the bill only pertained to those who had actually been convicted of domestic violence. The bill had been amended in the House Judiciary Committee, he explained, to ensure that the bill only applied to those convicted of the crime... Rep. Powdrell-Culbert, R-Corrales, said HB 17 was “a needless piece of legislation,” citing the lengthy test potential law enforcement officers must take before being accepted into police academies and which she said would weed out those with violent tendencies. Cote made the point that it was important to ensure domestic violence offenders weren’t on the police force because police officers were the “first responders” to domestic violence calls. HB 17 adds to a federal law that prohibits the carrying of firearms for certain domestic violence crimes, including aggravated stalking and aggravated assault. Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Tucumcari, attempted to add an amendment to HB 17 that would make the law apply only to felony convictions... Cote, who pointed out that there are misdemeanor offenses on the books already that remove certifications from law enforcement offers responded by saying, “I wouldn’t confuse other misdemeanors with domestic violence, which is a serious problem, “adding that his bill would help “to protect the citizens of New Mexico.” The amendment, which failed, was also opposed by Rep. Ken Martinez, who said misdemeanor battery was important to include and that “any attempt to take misdemeanors out really guts the bill,” as misdemeanor battery is defined as “temporary painful disfigurement,” ie. bruises, scratches, etc. [Full article here]

BILL ME LATER
Lawmakers Get Busy With Pre-Session Proposals
Santa Fe Reporter
By: Corey Pein
01/06/2010
[Excerpts] The New Mexico state Legislature convenes Jan. 19... These early bills got SFR’s attention, at least. The alternative titles are merely our suggestions for added zest... HB 17: No Domestic Violence Offenders as Police -- Alternate title: “The No Shit, Sherlock Act of 2010” As the law stands today, New Mexico forbids thieves and drunk drivers from becoming cops—but wife-beaters are A-OK.... [Full article here]

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL BOUNCED BACK TO COMMITTEE
The New Mexico Independent
By Patricia Sauthoff
2/4/10 12:47 AM
[Excerpts] HB 17, a bill that would prevent convicted domestic violence offenders from becoming police officers and would remove certification from current officers convicted of domestic violence crimes, is being sent back to the House Judiciary Committee, where it saw a heated and dramatic debate last Friday. Rep. Nathan Cote, the bill’s co-sponsor, offered an amendment to the bill that would define domestic violence nearer to that of SB 2, which narrows the definition of “household member” to “spouse, former spouse, parent, present or former stepparent, present or former parent in-law, grandparent, grandparent-in-law, a co-parent of a child or a person with whom a person has had a continuing personal relationship.” The re-definition would strike family member or relative from the definition... At Friday’s hearing both Reps Kintigh and Rehm expressed concerns that the current definition was too broad and used the example of an altercation between brothers as one that would fall under current domestic violence crimes. Kintigh and Rehm, both former law enforcement officers, protested the possibility of an officer losing his job due to such an altercation. Kintigh, who along with Rehm, and Reps. Bandy and White, walked out of Friday’s Judiciary Committee meeting in an attempt to block a vote on the bill, praised Cote’s amendment saying it was “an excellent amendment” and offering his support... HB 17 is Cote’s second attempt to pass this domestic violence legislation into law... At Friday’s hearing Rep. Antonio Maestas raised concerns about law enforcement officers’ partners saying, “If I’m a cadet and if I’m abusive, is my victim less likely or more likely to call someone to intervene?” to which Cote responded “I think they’d be more likely to call” if this legislation were passed. Though a federal law, the The Gun Control Act, exists that prohibits persons who have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from possessing fire arms, the New Mexico law would cover crimes not covered in the federal law, including stalking and property damage... [Full article here] 

POLICE LOBBY FIGHTS ANTI-DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE BILL
Santa Fe Reporter
By: Corey Pein corey@sfreporter.com
02/03/2010
[Excerpts] Ten years ago, New Mexico State Police Officer Marvyn Jaramillo was pulled over by a Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputy for speeding. He flunked a sobriety test. His loaded shotgun lay behind his seat. NMSP fired Jaramillo — even before he was convicted of drunk driving and negligent use of a deadly weapon. On Sept. 28, 2009, Jaramillo, now a Santa Fe sheriff’s deputy, became the subject of a temporary protection order filed by his ex-wife. She didn’t claim physical abuse, but wrote that he “can be vindictive,” and that she feared “verbal and physical threats” by Jaramillo and his new wife. She also feared as “an officer of the law he will attempt to use those ‘powers’ against us all,” she wrote. Jaramillo’s new troubles have not affected his job. State law requires a police officer’s certification be revoked if he is convicted — or in some cases merely accused—of drunk driving, theft or aggravated assault. It does not, however, specify that domestic violence is a crime demanding an officer’s dismissal. A bill now winding its way through the Roundhouse and provoking heated debate would change that. House bill 17 would require that officers convicted of domestic violence lose their certifications by the state Law Enforcement Academy. The change would not apply to Jaramillo, who hasn’t been charged with domestic violence. It might apply to officers like Santa Fe Police Department Sgt. Michael LeBlanc, who remains certified despite three charges of domestic violence. The high rates of domestic violence by first responders is well-documented, if somewhat taboo. Last year, Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano announced he was taking steps to address stress-related domestic violence in his department... The state police is the only police agency so far to publicly support the law change. “Police officers require a higher standard,” NMSP Major Robert Shilling tells SFR. “All we have is our integrity.” Santa Fe Police Chief Aric Wheeler tells SFR he doesn’t know enough to take a position on the bill... Sheriff Solano could not be reached prior to press time... The Fraternal Order of Police and the New Mexico Sheriffs’ & Police Association are fighting the bill — although neither calls their position opposition, per se. FOP lobbyist David Heshley disputes the premise that an officer’s judgment might be “tainted” by a domestic violence conviction... Eventually, every Republican on the committee walked out of the hearing. Rep. William Rehm, R-Bernalillo, showed concern for officers’ jobs. “All of us, in our marital life, have had some disagreement with our spouse,” Rehm said. “If my wife and I got in an argument and it was called in by a third party, an individual could be arrested for that and subsequently lose their career”... [Full article here]

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILLS GET DRAMATIC HEARING
The New Mexico Independent
By Patricia Sauthoff
1/31/10 9:54 PM
Four members of New Mexico’s House of Representatives walked out of the House Judiciary Committee Friday afternoon as a domestic violence bill was being heard. HB 17, which was introduced by Rep. Nate Cote and Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, would prohibit domestic violence offenders from becoming law enforcement officers within three years of a violation; officers convicted of domestic violence crimes could lose their certification. Rep. Bill Rehm, a former law enforcement officer, attempted to amend the bill to narrow the wording... (Senator Peter Wirth’s SB 2, which narrows the definition of a “household member,” passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee as HB 17 was being debated.) Concerned with language in the bill, Reps. Rehm, Paul Bandy, Dennis Kintigh and James White first voted yes to the amendment, which failed by a vote of 7-4 and then left the room, leaving the committee without a quorum — the minimum number of present representatives required for a vote. Reps. Stewart, Martinez and Cervantes had not been present at the beginning of the two-plus hour testimony, though Stewart arrived in time to vote against the amendment. Committee chair Al Park then assured the victims’ advocates who came in support of the bill that he would find another member of the committee to vote. In the end, the measure passed 8-0 and will proceed to the floor of the House for a full vote... Rehm and Kintigh expressed concern that holding law enforcement officers to a different standard than other public employees was unfair... Malinda Williams of Community Against Violence in Taos disagreed, telling The Independent, “We would expect police officers to have higher standards.” Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas agreed, saying, “I don’t see this as an anti-domestic violence bill; it’s an anti-police brutality bill. It’s weeding out who becomes a cop and who doesn’t.” Adding, “There’s a correlation between being a controlling person and being a less than stellar police officer.” Sally Sanchez of Roberta’s Place, a Grants-based victims’ advocate group, told The Independent she was a victim whose perpetrator was a state officer and “his supervisors told me unless he killed me there was nothing I could do.” Advocate Linda Siegle said she though the bill might also face similar hurdles in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it could be heard after a vote in the House early next week... [Full article here]