Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Padilla is facing criminal charges after court documents say he held down a woman at a party at his home in 2023 while she was beaten. As a result of his charges, it’s possible that more than 50 criminal cases in Northern New Mexico are at risk of being dismissed. 4th Judicial District Attorney, Thomas Clayton said, about a week or so ago that complaint was filed, and at that point in time we looked to determine what cases our office is prosecuting where Mr. Padilla is the primary officer. As we prosecute cases, and if Mr. Padilla is the primary witness, then I’m going to have to present him to the potential jurors and I want to ensure the integrity of the case. Padilla’s case is now being handled by the district court in Taos
