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Judge appoints new attorney to represent Solomon Pe帽a
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A federal judge appointed a new attorney for failed Republican candidate Solomon Pe帽a following the resignation of his previous lawyer this week.
The resignation of Pe帽a鈥檚 former attorney, Elizabeth Honce, cut short the start of Pe帽a鈥檚 trial on Monday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
Jury selection had been scheduled to begin Monday on federal charges alleging Pe帽a orchestrated a string of shootings at the homes of Democratic elected officials following the 2022 election.
U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs has appointed attorney Nicholas Thomas Hart as Pe帽a鈥檚 new attorney, court records show. Hart confirmed his appointment in a phone interview on Tuesday but declined additional comment about the case.
In an order granting Honce鈥檚 request to withdraw, Riggs said she held a closed hearing with Honce on Monday morning and found 鈥済ood cause for counsel to withdraw.鈥� Riggs鈥檚 order provided no details about the withdrawal 鈥渂ecause they go into the attorney-client relationship.鈥�
Riggs wrote that Pe帽a also requested a new attorney. Pe帽a also said he needed to 鈥渃heck his finances鈥� to determine his ability to hire an attorney, according to minutes of the hearing.
Honce notified the judge in an email that Pe帽a 鈥渉as an irreconcilable conflict鈥� that required Honce to withdraw, the minutes said.
Riggs was 鈥渧ery displeased,鈥� because the court had brought in a larger-than-usual jury pool for Pe帽a鈥檚 trial, 鈥渨hich is an unnecessary expense and inconvenience to the system,鈥� the minutes said. No new trial date has been set.
Pe帽a faces 13 federal charges, including multiple felony counts of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. One count alleges he used and discharged a machine gun.
He also faces charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, four counts of interference with federally protected activities, and conspiracy.
Pe帽a, who remains in federal custody, faces a potential life sentence if convicted on those charges.
Federal prosecutors allege that Pe帽a was motivated by his November 2022 election loss to state Rep. Miguel Garcia, a Democratic incumbent, by a nearly 50% margin. Pe帽a later said on social media that he believed the election was 鈥渞igged.鈥�
Prosecutors allege Pe帽a paid two co-defendants to help target the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, former commissioner Debbie O鈥橫alley, House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez and state Sen. Linda Lopez.
No one was injured in the incidents, but a bullet penetrated the bedroom where Lopez鈥檚 daughter, then 10, was sleeping.
The U.S. Attorney Office, which is prosecuting the case, filed a 鈥渟tatement of the case鈥� in federal court earlier this month, spelling out the allegations.
Prosecutors allege that Pe帽a 鈥渒nowingly used and carried a firearm鈥� on four occasions between Dec. 4, 2022, and Jan. 3, 2023, in connection with crimes of violence, the statement said. And on Jan. 3, 2023, Pe帽a used a machine gun to commit a crime, it said.
Barboa and O鈥橫alley were targeted because they were legally authorized election officials, the statement said.
Martinez and Lopez were targeted to intimidate them from campaigning as candidates for elected office, it said.
Pe帽a is also accused of hiring co-defendants Demetrio Trujillo, 42, and his son, Jose Trujillo, 22, to help carry out the shootings. Both of the Trujillos pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple federal charges and face sentences of up to life in prison. Neither man has been scheduled for sentencing.
