On Monday the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction of the rifleman who shot a young traveler at a border rest stop.
This conviction was upheld despite the Court finding that the defendant’s lawyer was ineffective in failing to correct errors in the jury instructions.
“In this case, there is no dispute that Ramirez’s trial counsel was ineffective in failing to object to the errors in the jury instructions.” State v. Ramirez (S.Ct. No. 33,193) P 20.
The Supreme Court found that incorrect jury instructions and an ineffective lawyer was not enough to warrant a new trial for the defendant.
Every criminal defendant, regardless of the heinousness of the allegations against him or her, deserve competent representation and legally proper jury instructions. That is the American system of law.
If you need a criminal defense lawyer, you can contact McGraw Law & Associates at (575) 323-1529
Las Cruces, NM