近距离内射合集

A state watchdog group filed a lawsuit against Bernalillo County on Wednesday, alleging public records violations for withholding video and other records from the Metropolitan Detention Center.

The requests sought access to video of MDC Sgt. Stephen Gabaldon slamming inmate John Sanchez on his head 鈥� fatally injuring him 鈥� and, separately, complaints against former Warden Jason Jones.

The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (FOG) on Thursday announced the suit against the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners and the county鈥檚 public records custodian, Jennifer Rodriguez.

FOG attorney Amanda Lavin said the suit revolved around violations of the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) in separate requests filed by 近距离内射合集 reporters Matthew Reisen and Alaina Mencinger.

The suit seeks a judge鈥檚 order directing the county to fulfill the IPRA requests and prohibiting it from claiming MDC records are 鈥渓aw enforcement records鈥� in any future IPRA request, according to the lawsuit.

The suit also seeks relief for the county鈥檚 failure to comply with the time limits and 鈥渁n award of damages, costs, and reasonable attorneys鈥� fees.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for the public to understand that IPRA is a very strong law,鈥� Lavin said in a news conference Thursday. 鈥淚t guarantees the public鈥檚 access to what our government is up to, what our public officials, who are paid with tax dollars, are doing, especially if there鈥檚 instances where maybe abuse or harm is being perpetrated.鈥�

MDC spokeswoman Candace Hopkins said the county 鈥渨ill review the lawsuit and address it accordingly.鈥�

The Bernalillo County Sheriff鈥檚 Office investigated the homicide of Sanchez and forwarded its case to the 2nd Judicial District Attorney鈥檚 Office in November, where it was reviewed by January and has sat for months.

Nancy Laflin, spokeswoman for the DA鈥檚 Office, said of the case Thursday, 鈥淲e have not made a decision whether or not to prosecute.鈥�

Hopkins said Gabaldon is still on paid administrative leave since at least last September, 鈥減ending the final resolution of his employment agreement rights.鈥� Joseph Trujeque, Gabaldon鈥檚 attorney, said MDC moved to terminate Gabaldon and they are appealing that decision.

Trujeque declined to comment further.

In its lawsuit against the county, FOG alleges 鈥渄istinct instances where Defendants have failed to comply with their statutory obligations under IPRA to allow inspection of public records of MDC.鈥�

One involved a July 2023 request for video 鈥渟howing the confrontation between MDC officers and John Sanchez,鈥� another in November 2023 involved Mencinger鈥檚 request for 鈥渁ll complaints filed against Metropolitan Detention Center Warden Jason Jones from January 1, 2023 to Nov. 28, 2023.鈥�

MDC denied the first request using an IPRA amendment made in the 2023 legislative session that exempted 鈥渓aw enforcement records鈥� showing 鈥渁cts of severe violence resulting in great bodily harm, unless a law enforcement officer, acting in that capacity, caused or is reasonably alleged or suspected to have caused the great bodily harm or act of severe violence.鈥�

After the denial, FOG referred the matter to the New Mexico Attorney General鈥檚 Office, which ultimately found the county complied with IPRA and that the video was a 鈥渓aw enforcement record鈥� due to the video being provided to BCSO during the investigation, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit argued the video is not a law enforcement record and, even if it was considered one, it depicts an 鈥渁ct of severe violence resulting in great bodily harm鈥� caused by a law enforcement officer, Gabaldon.

The lawsuit states MDC鈥檚 鈥渋nvocation of the law enforcement exception to restrict access to jail security video undermines the legislative intent of the exception, which was to improve transparency and public access to information regarding the misconduct of public officials.鈥�

鈥淒efendants exploit the exception to hide abuse perpetrated by MDC corrections officers,鈥� according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states MDC denied Mencinger鈥檚 request by citing an exemption due to complaints being 鈥渓etters or memoranda that are matters of opinion in personnel records.鈥�

鈥淯nlike other materials in the personnel file, the officer does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in a citizen complaint, and a complaint is not a personnel record generated by an employer or employee in support of the working relationship between them,鈥� according to the lawsuit. 鈥�... (C)omplaints against public officials are public records and not subject to the exception.鈥�

FOG Executive Director Melanie Majors said Thursday was 鈥渁 big day for FOG and it鈥檚 a big day for the people of New Mexico.鈥�

鈥淚f the government is open and accountable and transparent, we all win,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause don鈥檛 we want to know where our tax dollars are being spent? Don鈥檛 we want to know that everybody is being treated equally? Don鈥檛 we want to know if there are bad apples, that they can be found and rooted out?鈥�