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Ahmad Assed |
That may seem a long way off but the horrific murder of 10 year old Victoria Martens will be remembered far into the future and Torrez's handling of the case would be front and center if Assed makes the run, say those pushing him to take on Torrez.
Torrez has been making the media rounds in recent days trying to quiet public outrage over the Martens case, including the stunning plea bargain his office made with Victoria's mother. It was a deal that could see her serving as little as half a dozen years in prison and has not gone down well in a community scarred by the ghoulish murder. Victoria was raped, strangled, dismembered and her lifeless body set afire in an apartment bathtub.
The revelation that Michelle Martens was not directly involved in her daughter's slaying but was away from the apartment searching for drugs with boyfriend Fabian Gonzales at the time of the killing had the city reeling from shock. For nearly two years they (and the authorities) believed the false confession the mother had given and that Victoria would have justice. When Torrez announced that Michelle Martens was lying and that an unidentified fourth suspect is now being sought in the sensational case, the city again gasped.
Now Assed, a UNM law school grad with deep community ties, enters the picture. His voice has been heard on the case via his role as a legal analyst for KOB-TV and he hasn't backed off from criticizing Torrez's handling of the notorious murder. For example, he said this about the "John Doe" suspect whose DNA, Torrez announced, was found on Victoria's back:
Why do we publicize that we are looking for this unidentified individual? And if he does exist, why do we put him on notice that we're looking for him? This is a big problem for me. I'm sure maybe the DA's office has their reasoning for doing that.
And Assed told the viewing audience that the entire case could be in danger of collapsing:
It's a leap to associate the finding of the DNA – those samples – with a crime. There's transferred DNA that happens all the time. I don't know how long that DNA's been there—could have been there days, could have been there months, could have been three hours.
Based on the District Attorney's Office view of the case in the beginning and the investigation and the hyping of the case, it is extremely difficult for us to believe anything that the District Attorney's Office is going to say about a fourth component, unidentified individual. What they need is evidence.
THAT PLEA BARGAIN
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DA Torrez (Brose, Journal) |
But it is that plea bargain that Torrez said he had no choice but to make that is the DA's soft underbelly and what Assed is sure to key on if he enters the race. Here's how one of those egging on Assed puts it:
Raul’s had the case for a year and a half and cut a BS plea deal with her scumbag mother, but the Journal wants the public to give him credit for being on top of the case, for some bizarre, twisted reason--even though Torrez has said he’s not going after the guy who gave 10-year-old Victoria a sexually transmitted disease. What a bunch of BS.
Former BernCo Chief Deputy District Attorney and '13 ABQ mayoral candidate Pete Dinelli also believes the plea bargain poses political trouble for the DA:
The leniency Torrez showed towards a mother who placed her 10-year-old child in harm’s way and made the child a victim of one of the most horrendous murders in Albuquerque history will be remembered given his own past statements on our criminal justice system and conduct towards Judges. In 2016, when Torrez was running for District Attorney, he proclaimed that our criminal justice system was broken and that he was the guy who could fix it. Just a mere year ago, Torrez again claimed that our judicial system was broken stating the decisions by the judges to dismiss cases were “absurd.” Torrez proclaimed defense attorneys were “gaming the system” to get their clients off.
The ABQ Journal ran a weekend editorial about the case, largely exonerating Torrez of any blame for the mishaps that have occurred in the Martens case. The DA has ingratiated himself with the GOP-oriented paper as well as the Gov. Martinez political machine. That's making some Democrats antsy. Further, his critiques of local judges have made him enemies and could help an opponent like Assed raise a hefty amount of cash to finance a primary challenge.
The 2020 Dem primary will likely be decisive. Republicans have shown no interest in the race, letting Torrez run unopposed in 2016.
In reality much of the blame for the failed investigation of Victoria's murder can be laid in the lap of APD but Torrez has been easy on them, saying his office and APD will learn from the mistakes but his reticence to hold APD more accountable makes him more of a target.
DA Torrez has often been mentioned as a candidate for higher office someday but right now holding on to the one he has may be the stiffest political challenge he ever faces. Stay tuned.
THE BOTTOM LINES
No one needs to be reminded of the historic accomplishments of Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, the former GOP NM US Senator who walked on the moon. But in our first draft Monday we omitted one of his accomplishments when we listed Schmitt as among the major politicos of the last half century who did not serve in the military. Well, not quite:
As a civilian, Schmitt received Air Force jet pilot wings in 1965 and Navy helicopter wings in 1967, logging more than 2100 hours of flying time. . . Selected for the Scientist-Astronaut program in 1965, Schmitt organized the lunar science training for the Apollo Astronauts, represented the crews during the development of hardware and procedures for lunar surface exploration, and oversaw the final preparation of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Descent Stage.
We relied on Wikpedia for our initial info on Schmitt and it did not mention his Air Force jet pilot wings nor his Navy helicopter wings. Schmitt served just one US Senate term, suffering a re-election defeat in 1982. But his name is forever etched in the history books.
One other note on this from Santa Fe's Jerome Block:
Joe, Regarding your article of military service: Only two Vietnam Veterans have been elected to statewide office in NM. Ironically, both Jimmy Glenn and I were elected to the State Corporation Commission.
The Corporation Commission is now known as the Publica Regulation Commission. Thanks, Jerome. . .
And thanks to you for checking in with us today.
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