FGGAM NEWS received this news release late yesterday:
Governor Susana Martinez Signs Jaydon’s Law, Establishes Criminal Records Clearinghouse for Judges
Legislation Also Helps Keep Firearms Out of the Hands of the Mentally Ill
Albuquerque, NM — Governor Susana Martinez signed House Bill 72, “Jaydon’s Law”, and House Bill 336, both of which will give judges complete access to the criminal history of offenders who appear before them. This allows judges to use that information, including juvenile records, when making sentencing and bail decisions. “Jaydon’s Law”, sponsored by Representatives Nate Gentry and Paul Pacheco (R-Albuquerque), is named after Jaydon Chavez-Silver, an Albuquerque teenager who was killed last year in a drive-by shooting.
“As a career prosecutor, I know firsthand how important it is for our judges to have the most complete criminal history of a defendant,” Governor Martinez said. “It allows them to make better decisions in bail and sentencing that best protect our communities from criminals. That’s why Jaydon’s Law and House Bill 336 are so important – it makes it easier for our judges to keep dangerous criminals off the streets and behind bars, where they belong.”
A separate section of House Bill 336, sponsored by Gentry and Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque), also requires the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to report those who have been adjudicated as mentally unstable to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The Governor has long been a strong advocate for improving New Mexico’s timely and accurate reporting of mental health information to NICS, and this legislation further strengthens the state’s safeguards to help keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill.
Governor Martinez also acted on: signed Senate Bill 21, sponsored by Senator Jacob Candelaria (D-Albuquerque), to establish Brittany Alerts in New Mexico. Based on the Amber and Silver Alert systems, this will help notify the public of a missing person with physical or mental disabilities, helping law enforcement to quickly enlist the eyes and ears of the entire community to help bring them back to safety.