New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced on Wednesday that he wants the Legislature to strengthen the state’s anti-gun red flag law, citing an incident near a Santa Fe elementary school. The incident involved a man near César Chávez Elementary School who was seen wearing camouflage clothing, a bulletproof vest, and carrying multiple magazines of ammunition.
Torrez highlighted the response of the Santa Fe Police Department to the potential threat, emphasizing the man’s concerning history of shooting people with BB guns, depression, drug use, and a strong dislike for law enforcement. Despite attempts to obtain an extreme risk firearm protection order from the First Judicial District Court, the request was initially granted temporarily but later denied by District Judge Sylvia LaMar. The judge ruled that the petition failed to meet statutory requirements because the reporting party was a law enforcement officer and not a family member or close associate.
The red flag law, established in 2020, aims to identify mentally unstable individuals who own firearms and may pose a risk to themselves or others. However, the debate revolves around the language concerning who can be a reporting party and petition the court for a protection order. Torrez criticized the interpretation discrepancies among district judges despite an opinion issued by the Attorney General’s Office in 2021, clarifying that law enforcement officials can act as reporting parties.
Torrez’s office has filed a petition with the New Mexico Court of Appeals to overturn the District Court’s ruling. He emphasized the importance of addressing gaps in the law to prevent future tragedies, pointing to the need for law enforcement officials to be proactive in reporting potential threats.
In response to the incident and the challenges faced in the legal process, lawmakers, including Democrat Rep. Joy Garratt, plan to introduce revisions to the law during the upcoming legislative session in January. Garratt emphasized the value of police officers as reporting parties and the intention to include an emergency clause in the law to address immediacy.
Torrez outlined a plan for training law enforcement officials to be proactive in reporting individuals, eliminating the 48-hour waiting period for voluntary firearm removal from dangerous individuals, and mandating courts to notify law enforcement when someone with firearms is involuntarily committed or deemed unfit for trial due to mental incompetence.
While Torrez claimed there is urgency in closing supposed gaps in the law, the initial “red flag” legislation and any subsequent changes are an infringement upon constitutional rights to due process.
Previously, Torrez refused to defend Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s unconstitutional order banning all gun possession in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, calling it “unconstitutional,” but now supports strengthening unconstitutional proposals to usurp New Mexicans’ constitutional rights.
Grisham and Torres, upon being elected, swore an oath to uphold our state constitution. They are not, and have not done so. They should both be removed from office for failure to support and defend said constitution.
I agree completely. The sooner the better. I’m afraid the legislature, most of them, do not have the backbone to do it. I doubt very seriously if any one in this administration even swore to an oath of office.
And the problem becomes….who’s going to do this? It would be a beautiful thing if We The People could barge into their offices and drag them out into the street like Marie Antoinette, but so far, I’ve not seen a single person in law enforcement even try.
I knew there was something off about the whole charade… Or maybe they’re just racing to see who can destroy NM more. She’s got a huge head start though.
With the effectiveness of MLG’s latest gun grab and Constitutional infringement, of course Torrez is going to feel emboldened to walk in her high heels and do more to take away personal protection. I rather the state sanction a C&C purse, than listen to click through the courts in his pumps than allow freedom to reign.
It sounds all fine to take Guns from nut jobs, but my definition of a nut job is Grisham and Torres, they should not have Guns. What is your definition of a nut job? The CCP bought off president has already stated MAGAZINE folks that believe the election was rigged are terrorists, which to me translates to nut jobs. It is like disinformation, it is all based on your perspective.
The problem with this is that he wants to let the Second Biggest Liars to be allowed to be What They Are. Behind ALL POLITICIANS Who Are Lying Scum comes the Police who are allowed By Law to LIE TO YOU.
This is not what freedom looks like
Snakes always surround themselves with like kind. Loserjan and her halfwit AG are as corrupt as they come! They will steal and lie to New Mexicans while ripping the constitution! ( An UNARMED population has less ability to object). To see both arrested and removed from the roundhouse in handcuffs will be a day of JOY and celebration for New Mexico!!
Why do these fools get re-elected? MLG and her comrades what to control us and take away our rights guaranteed under not just the State Constitution but our Federal Constitution and our 2nd amendment.
We need strength to fight these idiots but so many people just keep voting them in. They are so corrupt. I wish we had strength in the legislation to take her and her counter parts (evil socialists/communists) down. Very frustrating to know they are still in the round house. God have mercy on us all.
Because of the Blue Rio Grand Valley
So, having read all the previous posts, I can see exactly who the ones are that don’t care about/ or could /would be happy to wrap themselves in the joy of constitutional protection when the next 11 year old kid is murdered in Albuquerque,
So, having read this comment, I can see exactly who the ones are that don’t care about the THE TRUTH/the law/or are so happy to wrap themselves in the absolute joy of blaming law-abiding citizens when the next 11 year old kid is murdered by a CRIMINAL who is NOT ELIGIBLE to have a gun in Albuquerque based on the fact that he/she/they are CRIMINALS.
Murdered children , while tragic shouldn’t nullify the constitution nor should corrupt politicians abrogate our rights. The problem of crime should be addressed in its proper context in that communists have used criminals to terrorize citizens without any legal repercussions. They create the problem then demand that it be fixed by forcing us to give up our God given constitutional rights . It’s been quoted that citizens that trade safety for rights will have neither!
What’s there to say, a POORLY written law. Nothing to see here.
Santa Fe will save us all. Democrats NEVER solve any problems, but only make matters worse.
Best to send single officers with no dependents for red flag enforcement…
I have no problem with a law that takes guns away from unstable people. However, the correct legal procedures (a complaint and an appearance before a judge) needs to be followed. When we had a normal society 40 years ago family members kept track of things like this. Guns have always been plentiful but no one used to shoot anyone at school. It never occurred to anybody. The liberals have destroyed the American family, religion and corrupted our culture. That is the primary reason for all the crime and violence in today’s America.