Happy New Year 2026!

As I enter the second year of my second term I am, like many of you, astounded by the swift passage of time. And yet, here in the 13th Judicial District the work never slows down, never takes a holiday.

Last year, we screened 6,532 cases. While we are nearing full capacity in terms of the attorneys we can hire, having achieved this by raising salaries to the extent that our budget allows and offering additional benefits, such as a dog-friendly office, family-friendly policies, time off for volunteering in the community and additional time at lunch for exercise, our attorneys still carry well over 200 cases each. Unfortunately, what this means is that some of our hardworking assistants carry double that case number.

When all the district attorneys in the state presented their budgets to the Legislative Finance Committee at the end of last year, every one of them mentioned the difficulty in attracting, hiring and retaining experienced attorneys because we simply cannot be competitive with our salaries.

Additionally, a common point of discussion has been a request for the Legislature to consider the district attorneys and public defenders offices when addressing budgets and rampant crime in the state of New Mexico. Historically, the courts and the state police have received significant increases and resources while the district attorneys have not received equitable increases. We are all a part of the same effort to address crime in the state; one does not work without the others.

Reviewing the cases we screened last year: Of 6,532 cases, 2,126 were violent crimes, 1,661 were community crimes, 1,028 were probation violations, 437 were juvenile crimes with the remaining 102 being “officer involved shootings.”

For conflict-of-interest cases, and sometimes due to staffing shortages, we refer cases outside of our district and/or hire contract attorneys. The largest number of cases — violent crimes — include robbery, domestic violence, manslaughter, kidnapping, assault, aggravated assault, assault and battery, arson, rape, sexual assault, homicide, carjacking and armed violence.

Community crimes, though not always involving violent acts, they can have a broad impact, affecting the entire community’s sense of safety and stability. Addressing these crimes often involves both law enforcement strategies like community policing and broader efforts to fix underlying issues such as lack of resources and social disorganization. All these cases require enormous resources in terms of research, time and skill.

When I look at my district, I feel an enormous amount of pride for the work that the staff of this district does on behalf of the communities we represent. The commitment, persistence and diligence of my staff is unparalleled. Their work is never ending; it is often emotionally taxing and yet they continue with a notable amount of devotion.

We celebrate our successes for example when a Sandoval County jury found Matthew Chavez guilty of second-degree murder with firearm enhancement and tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to the maximum penalty of 23 years in prison, a success that involved the work of two attorneys, two prosecution assistants a victim advocate and the cooperation and partnership with our colleagues in law enforcement.

In Valencia County our team worked with the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, and fire investigators from the Department of Homeland Security to convict Jacob Lahair the arsonist who started the bosque fires (though the sentence of four years and 18 months of parole appears light it was as close to the maximum allowed under the law).

In Cibola County, a jury returned a guilty verdict to Stella Chairez on the charge of first-degree child abuse (great bodily harm or death) and sentenced her to 18 years. These are examples of the work my staff does daily, and I am proud of and grateful for them regardless of case outcomes because of their consistent pursuit of justice.

We stand together in tough times and good times. We have and will continue to participate in activities in our communities. For example, elementary students annual trick or treating in our Cibola Office, receiving the Community Resource Fund’s Best New Partner of the Year award recognizing the outstanding volunteer work of our Valencia County office team, and joining with our Sandoval County partner, Haven House for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Members of my staff also participate as judges and jurors for the statewide Mock Trial competition annually.

We also mourn together. We lost our beloved investigator in the Valencia County Office in November. Johnny Cappelli, who was awarded Investigator of the Year in 2024 as a special agent for the state, passed unexpectedly, dying too young leaving an unfillable space and sad hearts in our community. We honor his work and life by remembering his excellent work and carrying on in his name.

(Barbara Romo is district attorney for the 13th Judicial District, which includes Valencia, Sandoval and Cibola counties.)