For Immediate Release: May 28, 2020 Contact: Matt Baca -- (505) 270-7148
Attorney General Balderas Issues Statement Following New Mexico Supreme Court Granting Petition to Stop City of Grants Mayor from Interfering with Public Health Orders
Santa Fe, NM---Attorney General Balderas issued the following statement in response to an order issued today from the New Mexico Supreme Court, granting the Office of the Attorney General’s petition, which sought to establish the statewide authority of the State’s public health emergency orders and to prevent the Mayor of Grants from interfering with them:
“I am grateful to the Supreme Court for their affirmation that the Constitution and the laws of our State protect all New Mexicans during a pandemic emergency,” said Attorney General Balderas.
A copy of the Supreme Court’s Order is attached.
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Filed Supreme Court of New Mexico 5/28/2020 4:04 PM Office of the Clerk
1 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
2 May 28, 2020
3 NO. S-1-SC-38279
4 STATE OF NEW MEXICO ex rel., 5 HECTOR BALDERAS, 6 New Mexico Attorney General,
7 Petitioners,
8 v.
9 MARTIN "MODEY" HICKS, 10 Mayor of Grants, New Mexico,
11 Respondent,
12 and
13 MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, 14 Governor of New Mexico, 15 KATHYLEEN "KATHY" KUNKEL, 16 Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health,
17 Real Parties in Interest.
18 ORDER
19 WHEREAS, this matter came on for consideration by the Court upon
20 petition for writ of mandamus, responses, and reply, and the Court having
21 considered the foregoing and being sufficiently advised, Chief Justice Judith K.
22 Nakamura, Justice Barbara J. Vigil, Justice Michael E. Vigil, Justice C. Shannon
23 Bacon and Justice David K. Thomson concurring;
24 NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the petition is GRANTED and Page 1 of 2
1 a writ of mandamus shall issue to Respondent, Mayor Martin “Modey” Hicks, that
2 (1) prohibits Respondent from operating city facilities in a manner that violates the
3 public health emergency orders issued by the Secretary of the New Mexico
4 Department of Health, and (2) prohibits Respondent from issuing directives and
5 orders that contradict the public health emergency orders issued by the Secretary of
6 the New Mexico Department of Health;
7 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that public health emergency orders issued by
8 the Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health concerning the COVID-19
9 pandemic shall supersede contrary orders and directives by Respondent concerning
10 the legality of mass gatherings and the exceptions provided for essential services;
11 and
12 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the stay of directives issued by
13 Respondent that conflict with public health emergency orders issued by the
14 Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health shall remain in effect.
15 IT IS SO ORDERED.
WITNESS, the Honorable Judith K. Nakamura, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New Mexico, and the seal of said Court this 28th day of May, 2020.
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