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Trial against Rio Arriba County sheriff to move to Santa Fe

Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office - James Lujan

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A trial of Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan will take place in Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a judge granted prosecutors’ motion Monday to move out of Rio Arriba County. The judge cited the need for a bigger space and the limited number of potential jurors. Prosecutors had argued that jurors would be intimidated by the sheriff.

The 60-year-old sheriff is awaiting trial on three misdemeanor counts of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. He is accused of showing up drunk at the home of a former Española city councilor last year and trying to take over the serving of a search warrant.