AI Generated Opinion Summaries

This summary was computer-generated without any editorial revision. It is not official, has not been checked for accuracy, and is NOT citable.

Facts

• Hon. David Ramos, Sr., a municipal court judge in Hurley, New Mexico, engaged in ex parte communications with Grant County Magistrate Judge Maurine Laney regarding a pending case, attempting to vouch for the defendant's character and seek special treatment for them (paras 2-3).

Procedural History

• [Not applicable or not found]

Parties' Submissions

• Judicial Standards Commission: Argued for the acceptance of a stipulation agreement and consent to discipline, which includes a formal mentorship, unsupervised probation for one year, and a public censure for the respondent (para 1).
• Respondent (Hon. David Ramos, Sr.): Admitted to initiating ex parte communications in violation of multiple rules of the Code of Judicial Conduct and consented to the proposed discipline measures (paras 2-4).

Legal Issues

• Whether the respondent's initiation of ex parte communications violated the Code of Judicial Conduct.
• Whether the stipulation agreement and consent to discipline proposed by the Judicial Standards Commission should be accepted.

Disposition

• The Supreme Court issued a public censure against Hon. David Ramos, Sr., to be published in the New Mexico Bar Bulletin, following his completion of a formal mentorship and while serving a one-year term of unsupervised probation (para 8).

Reasons

• Per Curiam: The Court unanimously concurred that the respondent's actions constituted a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct, specifically 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. The acceptance of the stipulation agreement and consent to discipline was deemed in the best interests of the judiciary and the public, leading to the decision to issue a public censure against the respondent. The Court's decision was based on the respondent's admission of wrongdoing, the terms of the stipulation agreement, and the completion of the agreed-upon disciplinary measures (paras 1-8).