Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey has filed a 400-page brief (“Prosecutor in Baldwin case asks judge to reconsider scathing dismissal,” Sept. 5) asking the judge to “un-dismiss” a case. The dismissal happened after the jury was empaneled in the criminal case against Alec Baldwin and jeopardy was fully attached. I hope we taxpayers didn’t pay for that fruitless waste of paper and time. As a former criminal prosecutor, I have been appalled at errors made by the District Attorney’s Office in this case, starting with charging a crime ex-post-facto and the early dismissal, failing to understand who is empowered to prosecute and then failing to turn over evidence to which the defense was entitled.
It doesn’t matter whether the defense may have known that some bullets were turned over later (they surely did, as I did just from following the articles in this paper and Vanity Fair) since it is the prosecution’s burden to produce all relevant and potentially exculpatory evidence. It also does not matter whether prosecutors made an honest mistake or took a calculated risk they would slip one by attorneys who are far closer to the top of their game than anyone affiliated with the District Attorney’s Office. It’s over — the district attorney and Morrissey need to hang their collective heads, apologize to the taxpayers and New Mexico’s film industry, and spend the time and effort needed to make sure that this gross display of incompetence is not repeated.
Carolyn McElroy
Santa Fe
System failures
Recently, my wife and I were walking along the sidewalk on the north side of Marcy Street between Washington and Lincoln streets. We heard shouting from the other side of the street. An older couple was walking slowly on the sidewalk on the south side with a tall young man in disheveled clothes walking backward in front of them shouting angrily and incoherently at them. I was about to call 911 because he looked like a threat to the couple. Then he turned around and walked quickly away while continuing to shout, turned the corner and was out of sight. Then several days ago, I left DeVargas mall and drove east on North Guadalupe Street preparing to turn left onto Paseo de Peralta. My car was the first in the left-turn lane. While waiting for the left-turn signal, a ragged mendicant on the medium approached my window with a sign. When I ignored him, he exploded in anger, pushing his sign at my window, shouting vile obscenities and insults and demanding that I give him cash. I ignored him and drove away when the light changed.
I don’t know the particular problems of these two people, but they appear to need care our current system is not providing. When you have people walking around in obvious need shouting angry, incoherent obscenities and threatening people, the current system is not working. Something more effective must be devised.
John Haynes
Santa Fe
Enough, already
I’m a bit disappointed in The New Mexican’s decision to include the name of Española Valley High School in an article about the Pojoaque and Los Alamos football game not allowing fans (“Pojoaque sans fans beats Los Alamos 14-13,” Sept. 7). While the incident at Buffalo Thunder was tragic, name dropping the high school casts an unfair stigma on all the students who attend there. The same point could have been made without naming the school, especially around such a sensitive event where tempers are already inflamed. These students are dealing with enough already.
Sam LeDoux
Española city councilor
Española
The deciding factor
This year’s presidential election is bizarre. It is a mistake to pretend otherwise. In a normal election, voters compare the candidates’ positions on the issues. That’s hard to do this year. Some complain that Kamala Harris’ speeches contain fewer policy specifics than they would like, although she clearly wants to restore the rights women lost when Roe v. Wade was overturned. On the other side, instead of policies, Donald Trump’s speeches present a confused mixture of bluster, insults, nonsense and lies. In reality, however, only one thing really matters. Four years ago, Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 election. He plotted to produce fake electors. He encouraged a violent mob to assault the U.S. Capitol. He has no respect for Constitution or the rule of law. Such a person must never be permitted to hold political power.
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history. The collection also includes archival photo galleries.
