ALBUQUERQUE – A committee appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court to review the state’s pretrial detention procedures will be hearing from some national experts.
The committee will meet Thursday in Albuquerque to hear from the founder of the Center for Legal and Evidence-Based Practices and the program director of the Justice Management Institute. Both have assisted other states on matters related to pretrial release and detention.
A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2016 cleared the way for state district judges to detain defendants facing felony charges in jail pending trial if prosecutors prove by clear and convincing evidence that the person is so dangerous that nothing other than detention will reasonably protect public safety.
As part of the process, prosecutors are required to file a written motion in court to seek a defendant’s detention. Rules for such requests also set deadlines for related hearings.
A report from the Supreme Court’s review committee is due by March 31. Retired Supreme Court Justice Edward Chávez is chairman of the committee, which is made up of representatives from all three branches of state government.
