A New Mexico judge says mental health records will remain under seal concerning former Secretary of State Dianna Duran ahead of a sentencing hearing Monday that could hinge on evidence concerning Duran's self-professed gambling addiction.
Duran has pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement and four misdemeanors related to siphoning thousands of dollars from her election account amid a gambling spree.
Defense attorney Erlinda Johnson is urging the court to keep private mental health records and a handwritten letter from Duran to the court.
Johnson said during a hearing Tuesday in Santa Fe that her client's gambling problem dates back to 2010 and got worse in 2012 and 2013 for undisclosed reasons.
District Judge T. Glenn Ellington agreed to keep those records private, along with a cover letter to the health report.
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