New Mexico state Sen. Richard Martinez has been found guilty of aggravated drunken driving and reckless driving in connection with a June car crash. Judge Francis Mathew delivered the verdicts on misdemeanor charges against the former magistrate judge and prominent Democratic state senator in connection with a June 28 wreck in the community of Espanola. Martinez’s car hit another vehicle that was stopped at a red traffic light, injuring Martinez and two people in the stationary vehicle. Police say Martinez refused a blood-alcohol test after the crash. Police body-camera video showed Martinez fumbling over a field sobriety test.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday afternoon issued the following statement in the wake of Judge Francis Mathew’s ruling in the trial of state Sen. Richard Martinez:
“As I said at the time of this incident, Senator Martinez was obligated to reflect on his actions and how best to reconcile them with his position as a public servant in the state Legislature, in particular his status as chairman of an influential committee. The senator’s defense of himself does not suggest to me that any such personal reckoning has taken place – and given the judge’s unambiguous ruling this afternoon, I urge him to resign his seat. There is no way to square the circle: Drunken driving is an intolerable scourge in our state, and our elected leaders must hold themselves to the highest possible standard of behavior.”
New Mexico Governor Urges Resignation For Senator Convicted Of DWI
