Yesterday, in a letter to New Mexico Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, Senator Richard Martinez (D– Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval and Santa Fe) resigned from his positions as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Courts, Corrections & Justice Interim Committee. Here is a statement from the Senate Democrats:
In the letter, Senator Martinez stated “After extensive thought and consideration and given my recent DWI conviction, I have decided to resign my position as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Courts, Corrections and Justice Interim Committee. I want to thank those who made it possible for me to serve in these positions.”
In a separate statement Senator Martinez added, “I do intend to continue my service as a state senator in District 5.”
In response to the letter, Senators Papen and Wirth issued the following statement: “Senator Martinez’s resignation as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Interim Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee is a positive development. We will make our recommendation for his replacement as Chair to the Committees’ Committee, which meets the first day of the legislative session.”