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Friday, May 21, 2010
Raymond Sanchez Endorses Judge Linda Vanzi for NM Appeals Court and Criticizes Negative Campaign by Dennis Montoya
Attorney Raymond Sanchez represented his North Valley district in the New Mexico Legislature for 30 years, 16 of them as Speaker of the House, and is one of them most well-known Hispanics in the state. Sanchez now serves on the UNM Board of Regents and he has won numerous awards for his public service, including Hispanic Business Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics. He has served as President of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). And he has now publicly endorsed Judge Linda Vanzi for the New Mexico Court of Appeals in the June 1 Democratic primary.
In a recent letter (pdf), Raymond Sanchez had this to say about Judge Vanzi:
As an attorney, a life-long Democrat, and one who has fought for justice and equity, I am proud to endorse Judge Linda Vanzi for this important position.
I have known Judge Vanzi for years. She was a distinguished lawyer and is now a respected judge. As a woman of color, she has stood shoulder to shoulder with us in the fights that have defined our generation. She has earned our support through a lifetime of service, and commitment to, the values we cherish.
The Ugly Head of Racism
Perhaps most powerfully, Sanchez also commented on the highly negative campaign being conducted by the other candidate in the Democratic Appeals Court primary, Dennis W. Montoya, although he did not mention him by name:
I cannot stay silent, however, on an aspect of this campaign that hurts me to the core. And that is the campaign of innuendo and whispers facing Judge Vanzi's campaign. This whisper campaign has brought the ugly head of racism into this election. This type of mudslinging has no place in the world we hope to create. Judge Vanzi deserves what all of us have fought for -- to be judged on our merits.
I implore all of you -- whether you support one candidate or another -- keep this debate on the issues and qualifications of the candidates and stand up against racism no matter what its form.
I won't go into the contents of Montoya's whisper campaign that Raymond Sanchez criticized in his letter, because the accusations are so vile and off base. However, included in a recent posting by Dennis Montoya on his campaign website was this remark:
Vanzi’s tactics, are disgraceful, hate-filled, racist and sexist, designed to denigrate and punish Mr. Montoya for engaging in the democratic process, and to rob the Hispanic community of a candidate, and completely unworthy of an individual who professes to be of judicial caliber.
Does anyone really believe that Raymond Sanchez, Toney Anaya -- and so many other highly respected individuals, as well as organizations -- would be endorsing Judge Vanzi to retain her current post if what Montoya is saying had even a germ of truth in it? Hardly.
Montoya's Horrible Record of Misconduct
Obviously, Montoya is grasping at straws and trying to divert attention away his own misfortunes, which include being charged with multiple acts of professional misconduct by the state's Disciplinary Board -- which most recently recommended that Montoya be suspended immediately from practicing law because he could be a danger to the public. Previously, Montoya was disqualified from receiving public campaign funding because he violated the rules.
Are we really to believe that all of the well-respected judges, attorneys and clients who have been involved in a series of serious complaints against Montoya are merely racists or liars out to get Mr. Montoya? Not likely. But it's incredibly important that we spread the word about Montoya to all of our friends and neighbors who will be voting in the June 1 primary election. We can't let him get away with trying to cover up his horrible record by spreading unfounded and mean-spirited rumors about Judge Vanzi.
More Info
Consider encouraging people you know to visit factchecknm.com/ for more info on Dennis W. Montoya and why he shouldn't be allowed to sit on the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
May 21, 2010 at 03:38 PM in 2010 Judicial Races, Justice, Legal Issues | Permalink
Comments
Judge Vanzi is supported by many, many Hispanics, as well as all kinds of other people. Can Montoya go any lower than to insult the real victims of discrimination by pretending his misconduct trouble is some racist or ethnic plot?
Even worse he then accuses Judge Vanzi of racism and sexism. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Posted by: Esq. | May 21, 2010 4:05:58 PM
IMHO Montoya has a persecution complex. This is simply par for the course from a genuine wackadoodle. Oh, and did I say scum of the earth? That too.
Posted by: Proud Democrat | May 21, 2010 11:45:57 PM
Toney Anaya? Ray Sanchez? Highly respected individuals? As I recall,half of Toney Anaya's cabinet was indicted and/or convicted when he was governor. Ray Sanchez was Manny Aragon's sidekick for many years. What world are you living in? Look at Vanzi's campaign contributors. Vanzi's smear campaign against Montoya is being financed by the crooked New Mexico Democratic Party machine. The New Mexico Democratic Party operates much like the national Republican Party. It needs reform now. Get all the Richardson appointees like Vanzi out of there.
Posted by: Steve Morrow | May 23, 2010 8:39:37 AM
Spoken like a true Republican, Steve. Obviously you don't have any experience with people who are in the Democratic Party or you wouldn't be so confused and clinging to some outmoded concept of a "machine." If anything is a machine it's the GOP that demands obedience and encourages their supporters to repeat hateful phrases like mockingbirds.
Posted by: Lawwoman | May 23, 2010 10:23:52 AM
Actually, I am a Democrat (anti-war, pro-affirmative action, pro-universal health coverage etc.) and it is my personal experience with the Democratic Party in New Mexico that has made me aware of the machine. A developer recently required every contractor working on a particular project I was working on to make contributions to a Democratic candidate for Congress. A city councilman I know switched from the Democratic to Republican party because the Democratic Party chair cut off his campaign funds for not voting with the party on enough issues. The family of a developer of a project pooled together $290,000 to contribute to the Richardson campaign. That same developer received a promise from Richardson to build a couple of highway interchanges for his development.
And I'm not afraid to put my real name on my comments. Check my registration. I'm a Democrat. Don't even get me started on the Republicans.
I don't name names because I don't like to smear reputations, as it affects their livelihoods. But Judge Vanzi has shown she is not fit to be a judge (aren't judges supposed to be impartial?) by the vicious smear campaign she has waged against Dennis Montoya.
Posted by: Steve Morrow | May 23, 2010 11:00:53 AM
Where to begin!
Let's start with the name of the candidate you are smearing. It's Dennis, not David.
you say: "I won't go into the contents of Montoya's whisper campaign"
Let me tell you, I really wish you would, because as Mr Montoya's supporter I have NO IDEA what he is supposed to have said about her.
I hear rumors that he is supposed to have referred to her sexuality. I've done some pretty thorough internet searches without finding anything of the kind. He himself strenuously denies this and seems very upset by the allegation.
Nor would you consider this reference vile and baseless, if I read between the lines in another post. I don't know anything about you or about Raymond Sanchez, but mere logic does not seem to explain the venom unleashed against Mr Montoya.
Here is my hypothesis:
https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/04/massey_energy_blankenship.html
And yes, it's only a hypothesis.
It would however explain the trashing of this good man's reputation.
I have said this elsewhere on this blog, but I will say it again here for the record: I am not affiliated with the camplaign. I am just a supporter who is aghast at what I see here.
Posted by: elinruby | May 23, 2010 11:56:30 PM
Furthermore you should be ashamed of yourself for perpetuating the Vanzi-funded charade of a fact check site.
I really can't address the allegations of misconduct because I am not a lawyer, and this is why an officer of the court should be making her accusations before their professional peers and not in the headlines.
But I suspect that these allegations are just as full of it as Vanzi's dishonest site.
Posted by: elinruby | May 24, 2010 12:08:56 AM
The Disciplinary Board of the New Mexico Supreme Court has brought the charges, not me. The Secretary of State and the appeals hearing officer determined that Montoya should be disqualified for breaking the rules for public financing. The court has held that Dennis Montoya has committed serious professional breeches, acted fraudulently and misrepresented things to clients, I didn't.
A number of federal judges have been highly critical of Dennis' behavior in the courtroom and outside the courtroom. What makes you think all these people are in a conspiracy to get him?
What, exactly is "dishonest" about Vanzi's site? Give me specific examples.
Montoya has sent me email that is, frankly, deluded and vicious. He needs to be kept away from the appeals court bench. Perhaps you should read the complaints and charges against him before claiming everyone is picking on Montoya for no reason.
Posted by: barb | May 24, 2010 12:34:01 AM
Steve Morrow: All you offer are generalized complaints that someone did this and someone did that. I'd like to know your specific reason for saying that Judge Vanzi is not fit to be a judge. If anyone is not fit, it is Dennis Montoya who has been playing this same victim game for many moons and spreading lies and smears for a very long time before Judge Vanzi even considered coming to her own defense, Vote for Montoya if you like, but practically the entire legal profession here as well as many respected judges see it my way.
Posted by: barb | May 24, 2010 12:38:09 AM
I've read them.
One issue is whether the plaintiff was the commonlaw wife of the decedent or his "girlfriend" as the incumbent's complaint dismissively suggests. This seems to depend on how New Mexico interprets Utah's marriage laws, which certainly sounds like a family law question to me.
I have no idea what the legalities of this might be, and neither, I submit, do you, but if I read the thing correctly, the person who was responsible for providing for a minor child received a settlement that helped her do so.
If the incumbent wants to air professional differences in the headlines she needs to explain to non-lawyers what harm she thinks was committed.
But even more to my point, what I see is an increasing number of posts saying that all this character assassination is detrimental both to the integrity of the court and to the public perception of the Democratic party.
Somewhere out there, Republicans are laughing, and we are all worse off for all this name-calling and backstabbing.
I still see no specifics on what you think Mr Montoya said about his opponent.
As for her site, let's start with the name. It's not a fact check site at all, it's a smear that admits to political funding, yet it attempts to trade on the reputation of a serious journalism site.
Share with us what is deluded and vicious about this email you say you got. You are the one making the allegations and using the adjectives. Back them up.
Posted by: elinruby | May 24, 2010 1:42:34 AM
Explain this article lady:
Posted by: Jed | May 24, 2010 1:56:00 AM
You mean the allegations of professional misconduct that neither you nor I have the background to evaluate, and that won't be evaluated until the day after the election?
The ones that should never have been in the headlines to begin with?
Or do you mean the sense of glee you seem to take in the denigration of a solid professional?
Or do you mean the fact that the same four people commented on it as on the story above? Those guys with no agenda in this? Are they even real people?
I don't think I have enough information to explain any of that, actually.
Allegations are easily made.
Speaking of ... what was so deluded and vicious in that email?
And what horrible thing do you think this civil rights attorney was whispering about a member of a protected class?
Posted by: elinruby | May 24, 2010 2:08:06 AM
Barb: I wish I could tell you why Judge Vanzi is qualified. But it's impossible because her campaign mailing doesn't talk about her qualifications. It only attacks Mr. Montoya. You can hardly even tell it was paid for by Judge Vanzi. In very small fine grey print the mailing says it was paid for by Ms. Vanzi. That kind of deceptive campaign material makes me question her integrity as a person, let alone a judge. She's vicious. It's clear to me that Richardson and his crooked buddies want to keep as many Richardson appointees like Vanzi on the appeals court so that when they get prosecuted they'll have friendly judges. By the way, what are Vanzi's qualifications? She ought to put them on her campaign literature instead of hiding her name in fine print.
Posted by: Steve Morrow | May 24, 2010 8:38:58 AM
Oh for the days when Rosenstock, Farber, Simon, Oppenheimer and Rudd were on the side of the people, taking over campuses, fighting for Spanish Land Grants and workers' rights... Now they're making campaign contributions to help the ruthless Richardson machine with Vanzi's smear campaign against Dennis Montoya. Scary. How times have changed.
Posted by: Steve Morrow | May 25, 2010 9:42:27 PM
Judge Vanzi is seen by both Democrats and Republicans as one of our best and most respected judges. If someone has a Spanish surname it does not automatically make them honest, smart or qualified. You insult the names you cite by claiming that an attorney who has misrepresented his clients and the truth and who has fraudulently handled his clients' funds is someone to admire.
Posted by: Cesar Chavez Yes, Montoya No | May 26, 2010 9:02:23 AM
