Young Hilltoppers confident of title potential Sports, B-1
Locally owned and independent
Thursday, August 22, 2013
www.santafenewmexican.com 75¢
Gonzales blogs about growing up gay Former leader of state Dems comes out ahead of decision on mayoral run
Javier Gonzales
By David J. Salazar The New Mexican
Former state Democratic Party chairman and prospective Santa Fe mayoral candidate Javier Gonzales posted in a blog Wednesday that he is gay. Gonzales came out on the website Familia es Familia,
which works to “build support among Latino communities for acceptance of gay and lesbian family members,” the site says. “Anyone who’s really gone through what I have understands that this is a process, and it’s something that’s an important process to go through,” Gonzales said in an interview
Santa Fe Police Chief Ray Rael speaks Wednesday about an officer’s allegations of sexual assault by another officer in the department.
Wednesday afternoon. “It really wasn’t just an announcement, it was a moment to share this process that I’ve experienced.” In the blog post, Gonzales details growing up in Santa Fe and the struggle that came with accepting his sexual orientation.
See gOnZALes, Page A-4
AG holds his peace King won’t silence wedding bells for gay couples in Doña Ana County
JANE PHILLIPS THE NEW MEXICAN
I also have to look at the “ other side of the story, which is the officer accused is innocent until proven guilty.” Chief Ray Rael
Female cop accuses veteran city officer of sex assault Attorney seeks paid leave for woman during state police probe By Tom Sharpe The New Mexican
Char Ullman, 51, center, and Carrie Hamblen, 45, exchange vows at the Doña Ana County Courthouse in Las Cruces on Wednesday, after receiving a same-sex marriage license. The couple were among the two dozen gay couples who have received marriage licenses after County Clerk Lynn Ellins announced he would issue them. COURTESY CHAR ULLMAN
By Steve Terrell
Attorney General Gary King announced in June that he would not issue an opinion on whether same-sex marriage is legal in New Mexico. Wednesday, he said the action in Doña Ana County makes it more urgent for the courts to expedite lawsuits filed by several same-sex couples who have been denied marriage licenses.
The New Mexican
A
ttorney General Gary King said even though he has cautioned county clerks not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples until a court rules on the matter, he will not intervene in Las Cruces, where the Doña Ana County clerk began issuing licenses Wednesday to gay couples. King, in a telephone interview, noted that he has filed briefs in a pending lawsuit, expressing the belief that the state’s prohibition against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. It would be hard to argue the other way in an action against Doña Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins, he said. Who might have standing in court to file
Pasapick www.pasatiempomagazine.com
‘Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay’ Molly Bernstein’s documentary closes the Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival; in addition, magician Max Krause performs live, 7 p.m., The Screen, Santa Fe University of Art and Design 1600 St. Michaels Drive, $12 in advance, $15 at the door, santafejff.org, 216-0672. More events in Calendar, A-2
Index
Calendar A-2
Classifieds B-6
A 31-year-old female patrol officer who has been with the city police department has accused a veteran officer of sexual assault, Santa Fe police and the woman’s lawyer said Wednesday. Police Chief Ray Rael acknowledged that the woman had reported the incident to department supervisors a week and a half to two weeks ago, and that the case has been turned over to New Mexico State Police and to the city department’s Internal Affairs Office for investigations. Rael declined to identify the accused officer, who has been with the department since 1999, but said the officer has been put on paid administrative leave. The officer making the charge, however, is still working with the department. A lawyer for the victim said he is seeking paid administrative leave for his client, who has been with the department for less than two years. State police spokesman Emmanuel Gutierrez confirmed the agency “picked up” the case two weeks ago, but no charges have been filed. “It’s still an active investigation and being worked by our agents,” Gutierrez said. “Upon completion of the report, it will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for final review and disposition. This is all the information that can be
Please see AssAULT, Page A-5
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
an action against the clerk, besides the state attorney general? King said legislators or other Doña Ana officials — the county attorney or county manager — might have such standing. The Associated Press reported that same-
sex couples began arriving at the Clerk’s Office in Las Cruces on Wednesday, soon after learning of the announcement by Ellins.
Please see weDDIng, Page A-4
Secret court: NSA violated law against spying on Americans Scathing opinion in 2011 reveals extent of email collections By Ellen Nakashima
InsIDe
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — For several years, the National Security Agency unlawfully gathered tens of thousands of emails and other electronic communications between Americans as part of a now-revised collection method, according to a
Comics B-12
Lotteries A-2
u Bradley Manning is sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking U.S. secrets. PAge A-4
2011 secret court opinion. The redacted 85-page opinion, which was declassified by U.S. intelligence officials Wednesday, states that, based on NSA
Opinion A-11
Police notes A-2
Interim Editor: Bruce Krasnow, 986-3034, bkrasnow@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Cynthia Miller, cmiller @sfnewmexican.com
estimates, the spy agency may have been collecting as many as 56,000 “wholly domestic” communications each year. In a strongly worded opinion, the chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court expressed consternation at what he saw as a pattern of misleading statements by the government and hinted that the NSA possibly violated a criminal law against spying on Americans.
Sports B-1
Please see nsA, Page A-4
Time Out A-8
Are state buildings toxic? A public employees union urges the Martinez administration to test for contaminants that may be making workers sick. LOcAL news, A-6
Obituaries Michael G. Lopez, 68, Española, Aug. 16 John Carnie Rivera Sr., 86, Tererro, Aug. 20
Today
Jerome A. “Cheese” Romero, 28, Aug. 15
Partly cloudy. High 87, low 56.
Frank R. “Sonny Valencia, 76, Santa Fe, Aug. 17
PAge A-12
PAge A-10
Scoop A-9
Main office: 983-3303 Late paper: 986-3010
Two sections, 24 pages 164th year, No. 234 Publication No. 596-440