Dennis W. Montoya
There’s an interesting history between two candidates running for a seat on the New Mexico Court of Appeals. The Albuquerque Journal went in-depth into it this weekend.
The race under scrutiny is between Appeals Court Judge Linda Vanzi and attorney Dennis W. Montoya, who’s seeking to unseat her in the Democratic primary on June 1. But this “isn’t their first confrontation,” the Journal article states.
From the article:
“Vanzi, while still a state District Court judge in Albuquerque, filed a complaint against Montoya with the board that investigates allegations of attorney misconduct.
“She accused him of failing to represent the interests of a young boy whose father was killed in a one-car accident, questioned his fees and costs in the case, and accused him of lying to a guardian ad litem she appointed to protect the child’s interests.”
Linda Vanzi
Vanzi wrote in her complaint to the Supreme Court’s disciplinary board that Montoya “has shown a disregard for the legal system, including the courts, other attorneys, and clients he supposedly represents.”
The complaint is still under investigation, and the Journal quoted Montoya’s campaign manager, Santiago Juarez, as saying, “Because these are pending matters, Mr. Montoya’s position is he does not want to be seen as unduly influencing the court by commenting in the media.”
But the charges are serious. The Journal article states that, if the board finds they have merit, “it could recommend disciplinary action to the Supreme Court, ranging from a reprimand or fine to being disbarred.”
An attorney who works on Vanzi’s campaign, David Stout, was quoted by the Journal as saying the judge is prohibited by the code of conduct from commenting on pending cases.
The article is worth reading. You can find it here.
The documents related to Vanzi’s complaint against Montoya can be found here and here.