Candidates favor death penalty for child killers

By Steve Jahrling

ALBUQUERQUE Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Richardson laid out his five-point plan this week to help cut violent crime in New Mexico, including a call to give convicted killers of children the death penalty.

 "As governor, I will hold criminals accountable for their crimes with tough sentences, including the death penalty when it's warranted," he said.

 Richardson spoke before several dozen judges, law enforcement officials and prosecutors at the Bernalillo County Courthouse Thursday, pledging his support of a bill proposed by state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doa Ana, that would make murdering a child under the age of 11 an aggravating circumstance that would ramp up sentencing to include the death penalty.

 The former congressman and energy secretary called for tougher sentences for repeat juvenile offenders and making drug courts for nonviolent offenders mandatory throughout the state. He also made his case to strengthen law enforcement by calling for more police drug labs, upgrading communication systems and improving efforts to keep experienced police officers on the streets.

 Republican candidate John Sanchez, who said he would also support Garcia's bill, called for a plan Thursday that would deny parole for convicted felons given life sentences, and would make the state's three-strikes law apply to any violent felony. Currently, convicted felons given a life term become eligible for parole after serving 30 years.

 He added that he would also support a mandatory life sentence for any offender convicted of first or second degree sexual assault, and would seek to apply the Habitual Offender Law to repeat DWI violators.

 "When implemented, my sentencing reform initiatives will ensure that dangerous felons spend more time where they belong behind bars," Sanchez said.

 Green Party candidate David Bacon has gone on record that he is against using the death penalty in New Mexico.

 Richardson called for a "Chronic Youthful Offender Act" that would give mandatory adult sentences to juveniles age 14-18 convicted of murder, rape, drive-by shootings or kidnapping.

 "The kids who continue to commit these youthful offender' crimes pose a real danger to society," he said. "This law will send a message to our young people that, as a community, we will severely punish violent behavior." He also called for creating statewide drug courts over a five-year period.

 "Drug courts are the first step towards reducing addiction rates and criminal activity," he said. "But they must be accompanied by expansion of our treatment facilities."

 The court programs use weekly court meetings with judges and probation officers, random drug screenings and counseling to steer convicted offenders toward sobriety. If participants skip meetings, violate any rules or test "dirty" for drugs or alcohol, they are sent back to jail.

 With about half of the state's 13 District Courts operating drug courts, Richardson added "I realize this won't happen overnight." He cited drug court costs of $2,500 per year for each person in the Albuquerque DWI Drug Court against the cost of $25,000 per year for incarceration.

 The Eleventh Judicial District Court in San Juan County does operate two drug court programs, with a youth program run by Judge Paul Onuska and an adult court presided over by Judge George Harrison.

 He added that he would seek federal funds to start up new drug courts and to build a new drug-testing laboratory in Las Cruces.

 "The labs in Albuquerque and Santa Fe are backlogged," he said. "That's why hundreds of rape kits' have been sitting in evidence storage facilities instead of being processed for DNA samples, and then being matched to other

 crimes and suspects."

 Richardson advocated allowing full-time police officers to collect their pensions while continuing to work. The pension policy currently mandates that officers must retire after 20 years in order to collect benefits.

 "We should provide a way for law enforcement officers to stay on the job full-time and still collect their benefits," he said. "We need a full complement of officers in our communities and on the street."

 He also urged upgrading statewide communications so that all law enforcement departments can better talk with each other.

 "Right now, the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department can't communicate directly with the New Mexico State Police the same is true in Santa Fe," he said. "In other parts of the state, the State Police are frequently in a dead zone' and are unable to communicate with a dispatcher or other officers."

 Steve Jahrling: [email protected]