Public defender standoff reaches Supreme Court

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A state prosecutor is asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to order public defense attorneys back to work on behalf of indigent defendants at courts in Lea County.
District Attorney Dianna Luce said Wednesday she has submitted an emergency petition that urges the Supreme Court to intervene in cases where legal representation was declined or withdrawn by the Law Offices of the Public Defender.
Chief Public Defender Ben Baur says that state budget restrictions mean his o