Supreme Court of New Mexico

INQUIRY CONCERNING A JUDGE
NO. 2014-094
IN THE MATTER OF DAVID RAMOS, SR.,
Municipal Court Judge, City of Hurley, New Mexico

NO. S-1-SC-34884

SUPREME COURT OF NEW MEXICO

February 11, 2016

COUNSEL

Randall D. Roybal, Deborah Borio, Albuquerque, NM, for Judicial Standards Commission

David Ramos, Sr., Hurley, NM, for Respondent

JUDGES

BARBARA J. VIGIL, Chief Justice. PETRA JIMENEZ MAES, Justice, EDWARD L. CHÁVEZ, Justice, CHARLES W. DANIELS, Justice, JUDITH K. NAKAMURA, Justice

AUTHOR: PER CURIAM

PUBLIC CENSURE

{1}       WHEREAS, this matter came on for consideration by the Court upon the Judicial Standards Commission’s petition to accept a stipulation agreement and consent to discipline (Stipulation) entered into between the Commission and Hon. David Ramos, Sr., (respondent), who is a municipal court judge in Hurley, New Mexico;

{2}       WHEREAS, in the Stipulation, respondent admits that on or about June 19, 2014, respondent initiated ex parte communications with Grant County Magistrate Judge Maurine Laney – concerning a case that was pending before Judge Laney – in an attempt to personally vouch for the character of the defendant and obtain special treatment for the defendant;

{3}       WHEREAS, in the Stipulation, respondent admits that he violated Code of Judicial Conduct Rules 21-101, 21-102, 21-103, 21-204(B) and (C), 21-206(A), 21-209(A), 21-210(A), and 21-303 NMRA;

{4}       WHEREAS, in the Stipulation, respondent consents to imposition of a formal mentorship followed by unsupervised probation for a period of one (1) year and a public censure by the Supreme Court to be published in the New Mexico Bar Bulletin;

{5}       WHEREAS, upon considering the petition to accept stipulation agreement and consent to discipline and having determined that acceptance of the stipulation is in the best interests of the judiciary and the public, the Court previously granted the petition and ordered respondent to abide by all terms of the Stipulation Agreement and Consent to Discipline;

{6}       WHEREAS, respondent has successfully completed his formal mentorship and is currently serving his one (1)-year term of unsupervised probation; and

{7}       WHEREAS, in light of the foregoing, and the Court having considered the stipulation agreement and consent to the imposition of a public censure and being otherwise sufficiently advised, Chief Justice Barbara J. Vigil, Justice Petra Jimenez Maes, Justice Edward L. Chávez, Justice Charles W. Daniels, and Justice Judith K. Nakamura concurring;

{8}       NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that respondent, Hon. David Ramos, Sr., is hereby issued a PUBLIC CENSURE that shall be published in the Bar Bulletin.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

BARBARA J. VIGIL, Chief Justice

PETRA JIMENEZ MAES, Justice

EDWARD L. CHÁVEZ, Justice

CHARLES W. DANIELS, Justice

JUDITH K. NAKAMURA, Justice