Commentary: Republican Legislators are calling on state district judge Louis McDonald to resign after sentencing a drunken driver to only three years in jail for a crash that killed two innocent New Mexicans. Last Friday, Judge McDonald handed down the sentence to Christie Noriega after she plead guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide by vehicle and aggravated driving under the influence.
“This goes beyond unacceptable, is a dereliction of duty and shows a complete lack of judgement,” said Rep. Jason Harper (R-Rio Rancho.) “It’s decisions like this one that erode confidence in the criminal justice system in New Mexico. Judge McDonald should resign.”
Joining Rep. Harper in calling for the resignation of Judge McDonald are Rep. Tim Lewis (R-Rio Rancho) and Senator Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho).
According to media reports, the defendant was eligible to receive a sentence of up 30 years for the crimes, yet was only sentenced to three. The sentence stems from the deadly accident that occurred in March 2018 while the two victims were changing the tire on their vehicle along Interstate 25 in Sandoval County. According to reports, the defendant’s 2 year old child was also in her car at the time of the accident.