Attacks On Martinez Labeled “Dishonest” & “Distort[ions]”
DENISH DISTORTION #1: Susana Martinez Had Worst Murder Conviction Rate In New Mexico:
DENISH: Martinez Let 40% Of Murderers “Back On The Street.” “Martinez has let 40% of felony murder defendants back on our streets…” (Email, “Time To Focus On Victory!” Committee To Elect Diane Denish, 6/2/10)
DENISH: Martinez Murder Conviction Rate “The Worst In New Mexico.” “Martinez claims she locked up murderers but her conviction rate, the worst in New Mexico.” (Ad, Committee To Elect Diane Denish, 6/3/10)
DISCREDITED: Denish Attack Built On “The Wrong Statistics And Came Up With Invalid Figures”; Martinez Named “Prosecutor Of The Year”:
FactCheck.org: “[T]he Denish Camp Simply Used The Wrong Statistics And Came Up With Invalid Figures. In Fact, Figures From An Official State Agency Show Martinez Won Nearly 96 Percent Of Her Murder Cases.” “An ad claims that her conviction rate in murder cases is ‘the worst in New Mexico,’ and the Denish campaign says that rate is 60 percent. But the Denish camp simply used the wrong statistics and came up with invalid figures. In fact, figures from an official state agency show Martinez won nearly 96 percent of her murder cases.” (“NM Governor’s Race: Denish Distorts DA’s Record,” Factcheck.org, 6/22/10)
Susana Martinez Was Named “Prosecutor Of The Year” By The New Mexico State Bar Association. “Third Judicial District Attorney Susana Martinez was named Prosecutor of the Year this week by a peer group within the state bar association. The annual award was announced at a spring meeting of the Prosecutors Section of the State Bar of New Mexico, held in Ruidoso … Qualities evaluated include the ‘individual’s outstanding characteristics, prosecution history, work with the public and contributions to the quality of prosecution and the image of prosecutors,’ according to the site.” (“Martinez Named Prosecutor Of The Year,” Las Cruces Sun-News, 3/4/10)
DISCREDITED: Murder Victim’s Parents’ Letter To Denish: “We Would Hope That You Would Not Try To Win This Race By Depicting [Martinez] Or Her Record In A Dishonest Light”:
John & Darla Wax: “We Are Deeply Disturbed By Your Personal Attack Last Night Against Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez.” “We are deeply disturbed by your personal attack last night against Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez. You might not believe that dedicating one’s life to fighting for victims is a real ‘record,’ but we strongly disagree. No one knows Susana better than us.” (John & Darla Wax, Letter to Diane Denish, 6/2/10)
John & Darla Wax: “From The Very Beginning, She Assured Us That Justice Would Be Delivered. And Susana Kept Her Word.” “Our daughter was murdered in 2005 and Susana’s office handled the prosecution of that case. From the very beginning, she assured us that justice would be delivered. And Susana kept her word.” (John & Darla Wax, Letter to Diane Denish, 6/2/10)
John & Darla Wax: “Susana Showed Us Compassion And Concern During Our Darkest Hours.” “But more than just sending the killer to prison, Susana showed us compassion and concern during our darkest hours. That’s the kind of person Susana is. We understand that politics and campaigns are tough, but Susana is a wonderful human being and we would hope that you would not try to win this race by depicting her or her record in a dishonest light.” (John & Darla Wax, Letter to Diane Denish, 6/2/10)
DENISH DISTORTION #2: Martinez Is Soft On Sex Offenders:
DENISH: Martinez Coddled Sex Offenders; Failed At Her Job. “When a New Mexico High School janitor and coach were both charged with sexual content with students, District Attorney Susana Martinez cut deals, and allowed these child predators to avoid publicly registering as sex offenders. Today, we don’t know where these sex offenders are lurking, because Susana Martinez didn’t to her job.” (Ad, Committee To Elect Diane Denish, 6/14/10)
DISCREDITED: Victims’ Families Come To Martinez’s Defense:
Father Of Victim In The Montes Case Joe Novak: Martinez “Did What Was In The Best Interest Of My Daughter.” “My daughter was the victim in the Montes case. I was contacted yesterday by the Denish campaign and asked to say that I felt I was done wrong by the Dona Ana County DA’s office. I told the Denish campaign that is not true and that the prosecutor did what was in the best interest of my daughter. In that case, I had moved my daughter to Nevada to a rehabilitation school to help her recover from her issues. I did not want to take her back to New Mexico and drag her through a trial and communicated that to the DA’s office when we discussed how to proceed. The plea agreement was in my daughter’s best interest.” (Release, Susana Martinez For Governor, 6/23/10)
Victim Jessica Perez: Denish Is “Diane Denish Does Not Understand.” “It shattered my life. I was one of the victims. Diane Denish does not understand; to attack not only Susana on this, but in a way it’s attacking the victims … Susana cared for me and loved me and did everything she could.” (Ad, Susana Martinez For Governor, 6/16/10)
Perez’s Mother: “No One Fights Harder For Victims Than Susana Martinez.” “No one fights harder for victims than Susana Martinez. Susana delivered justice, sent him to prison, and he is a registered sex offender to this day … I don’t think Diane Denish understands the first thing.” (Ad, Susana Martinez For Governor, 6/16/10)
DENISH DISTORTION #3: Martinez Pled Over 800 Felony DWI Cases:
DENISH: Martinez Pled Over 800 Felony DWI Cases. “[A]nd after promising not to cut plea bargain deals with felony DWI offenders, she did – more than 800 times since making the pledge.” (Email, “Time To Focus On Victory!” Committee To Elect Diane Denish, 6/2/10)
DENISH: “District Attorney Susana Martinez promised she wouldn’t give plea deals to felony drunk drivers. But she did… over 800 times.” (Ad, Committee To Elect Diane Denish, 6/3/10)
DISCREDITED: Factcheck.org: “There’s No Support For That Figure”:
Factcheck.org: “There’s No Support For That Figure.” “The Denish ad also claims ‘District Attorney Susana Martinez promised she wouldn’t give plea deals to felony drunk drivers, but she did. Over 800 times.’ But there’s no support for that figure.” (“NM Governor’s Race: Denish Distorts DA’s Record,” Factcheck.org, 6/22/10)
Anti- Drunk Driving Crusader Nadine Milford: Charge “Untrue;” Martinez An “Excellent And Effective” Prosecutor. “Longtime anti-drunk-driving crusader Nadine Milford calls the … charges ‘untrue,’ and says Martinez is an ‘excellent and effective’ prosecutor.” (Stuart Dyson, “Democrats Take Aim At GOP Front-Runner Martinez,” KOB Eyewitness News 4, www.kob.com, 5/17/10)
DENISH DISTORTION #4: Martinez Exaggerated Her Role In Taking On Drug Cartels:
DENISH: Martinez’s Failure To Publicly Name Cartels She’s Prosecuted Amounts To “Exaggerating Her Record” And “Empty Rhetoric, Exaggerations And Political Double-Speak.” “[Ernesto] Ortiz, [director of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA)], like Martinez, would not identify specific cases that prove Martinez has taken on cartel members. Martinez’s failure to do that for The New Mexican article prompted the state Democratic Party to accuse her of ‘exaggerating her record.’ A party news release stated that Martinez ‘can’t’ name cartel members she’s taken on. ‘New Mexicans are tired of the empty rhetoric, exaggerations and political double-speak from Susana Martinez,’ said the party’s executive director, Scott Forrester. ‘Susana Martinez should come clean and admit that she’s been exaggerating her record in order to create a tough-on-crime persona.’” (Heath Haussamen, “Federal Official Says Martinez Has Taken On Cartel Members,” NMPolitics.net, 6/28/10)
DISCREDITED: NM Director Of High Intensity Drug Traffic Says Martinez Did Take On Cartels And Only Refused To Name Specific Cases To Protect Informants:
Ernesto Ortiz, Director Of The New Mexico High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA): Martinez Has Taken On Members Of The Most Violent Mexican Drug Cartels. “The head of the federal agency that coordinates the fight against drug trafficking in New Mexico says Susana Martinez’s claim that she has ‘taken on members of the most violent Mexican drug cartels’ is accurate. Ernesto Ortiz, director of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA), said the battle against cartel drug smuggling doesn’t happen without local and federal law enforcement officials cooperating, and Martinez’s office plays an integral role.” (Heath Haussamen, “Federal Official Says Martinez Has Taken On Cartel Members,” NMPolitics.net, 6/28/10)
Martinez Participated In Operation Up The Ladder, Which Sought To Undermine Cartels By Catching “Small Fish” And Working Up The Hierarchy Through Prosecution And Intelligence Sharing. “Law enforcement agencies in the New Mexico HIDTA region are involved in Operation Up The Ladder, which is aimed at stopping cartel drug smuggling by catching those The New Mexican called ‘small fish’ and working its way up through prosecution, intelligence sharing and other efforts. The seven district attorneys in the area Ortiz oversees – including Martinez – partner with the U.S. attorney and prosecute cases referred to them by task forces made up of local and federal law enforcement officials. Most are smaller cases, though some involve the state’s top marijuana charge, trafficking over 100 pounds. Ortiz said Martinez’s office has been involved in additional efforts to disrupt cartel activity, including prosecuting other cartel-related crimes that have been committed in Doña Ana County such as homicides.” (Heath Haussamen, “Federal Official Says Martinez Has Taken On Cartel Members,” NMPolitics.net, 6/28/10)
Ortiz: Martinez “Absolutely” Prosecuted Cases Against “Enforcers,” Local Gangs Recruited By Cartels To Kill People Who’ve Lost Drug Shipments Or Owe The Cartel Money. “[Ortiz] said such cases could include instances in which ‘enforcers’ – local gangs recruited by cartels to carry out punishment on this side of the border – kill someone for losing a drug shipment or money owed to a cartel. He said Martinez’s office has ‘absolutely’ prosecuted such cases. ‘There may be somebody that is murdered or somebody that is kidnapped or beaten to death – things like that in retaliation for either losing a drug load or losing money that was supposed to go back to the organization,’ Ortiz said.” (Heath Haussamen, “Federal Official Says Martinez Has Taken On Cartel Members,” NMPolitics.net, 6/28/10)
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