New Details: ABQ Journal Editor Appears To Have Kept Shoplifting Charge Under Wraps Until After Sentencing; Had No Attorney As He Was Ordered To Jail, Plus: Rio Rancho Court Judge Speaks On Case

Editor Ethridge

It appears that ABQ Journal editor Patrick Ethridge may have been trying to keep quiet his August 24 shoplifting charge at a Rio Rancho Walmart super center, explaining why for over a month the incident went unreported.

In an interview with us Tuesday, Rio Rancho Municipal Court Judge Robert Cook said that when Ethridge appeared in court last Wednesday morning on shoplifting charges and was sentenced to ten days in jail, he was not represented by an attorney. 

(The criminal complaint filed in the case is below.)

"He did not have an attorney until after the sentencing. He appeared before Municipal Court Judge Michael Gibson and plead guilty to the charge. Judge Gibson waived the fine and sentenced him to 10 days in jail."

Cook said it wasn't until after the sentencing that defense lawyer Todd Bullion began to represent Ethridge and filed a motion setting the stage for an appeal by the newspaper editor. Bullion has said that Ethridge was not aware that he was "skip scanning" items at the Walmart.

In their reporting on Ethridge's arrest, the Journal quoted publisher William Lang as being "shocked to learn" of the arrest. That indeed appears to be the case.

ARREST FALLOUT (CONT.)

On social media the state House Majority Whip and attorney Greg Payne here on the blog both questioned why when the Journal found about the August arrest of their editor they did not report it for over a month. 

Payne, said it appeared that Ehridge was hoping the whole thing would go away and kept it on the down low. He had argued that if it turned out that Ethridge tried to keep the arrest "hush-hush" it would be incumbent on the Journal to dismiss him:

If an elected official had managed to hide the charge from the Journal prior to attempting to enter a very hush-hush guilty plea, the Journal would make that elected official pay twice for it. Did the editor of the paper hide his charge from his employer? If he did, and the Journal didn’t find out until (two days after his sentencing), why wouldn’t they fire him for that?

Ethridge has been placed on a leave of absence by the Journal.

JUDGING THE EDITOR

We originally (and erroneously) reported that Cook, the lead judge at the court and the only one elected, heard the case. But there are two "alternate judges" and Cook said Judge Gibson, who Cook said has been a judge for about three years, heard the Ethridge case because Cook had recused himself from cases that day.

Judge Cook says that neither he nor Gibson knew Ethridge or his association with the state's largest newspaper. He said he may have spotted another name on the list of cases that were to be heard that day that prompted him to have his cases heard by Gibson but said he could not recall.

He explained that paperwork in front of the municipal judges--who are not attorneys and who preside over mostly traffic cases--does not ordinarily list the employer of alleged offenders but does so when there are pre-sentence reports which are not common in Municipal Court. 

The police complaint filed with the court does list Ethridge's birth date and address but not his employer.

He told us he had not spoken to Gibson about his reasons for giving Ethridge ten days confined to the Sandoval County Detention Center.

Cook did not make Gibson available for an interview, saying that he is the "spokesman" for the court and handles media inquiries. Cook is the only elected judge at the municipal court. The two alternate judges are appointed and he is their boss.

WHY 10 DAYS?

Asked if it was unusual or uncommon for a first offender charged with shoplifting of $100 or less to receive so much jail time, Cook said he did not.

"If he had been given the maximum sentence--90 days in jail and a $500 fine--that would have raised eyebrows but I don't find this to be unusual or uncommon." Cook explained. 

Cook said he could not recall off hand cases where he handed out such a sentence for the same offense. 

One of our Legal Beagles said on the blog that the Rio Rancho court is known in the legal community for administering stern sentences.

Judge Cook said Ethridge will serve all ten days of his sentence. That would man Ethridge woud be jailed until this Saturday. 

FULL COMPLAINT 

(Click to enlarge)

Here is the criminal complaint filed with the Rio Rancho Municipal Court in the Etheridge case: 

On August 24th, 2024, I, Officer Marcus Packer of the Rio Rancho Police Department was notified by RRPD Dispatch to proceed to the location of 901 Unser BIvd SE, in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Dispatch advised the call for service was in reference to an active shoplifting incident.T he calling party was Wal-Mart Asset Protection (AP). 

AP advised there were two young boys inside of the store, described as approximately 10 vears of age, one boy was wearing a black shirt, and the other was wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey over a grey hoodie. The boys were reportedly acting disorderly around the store, knocking over displays and concealing items. I arrived on scene and observed the described juveniles to be in the self-checkout section, alongside their parents. I made contact with the family and advised them of the ongoing allegations. 

Accompanied by the family, I proceeded to the AP office to view surveillance footage of the allegations. The two boys were identified and the father was identified as Patrick Ethridge. . . During my contact they were not in possession of any merchandise. Asset Protection advised the boys were observed taking a can of Monster Energy Drink each, drinking from the item and then placing the drinks back on a shelf. During my contact with (the boys) they were not in possession of any merchandise. 

After reviewing surveillance footage, Patrick was observed to be "skip scanning" items while located at the self-checkout. Patrick would scan some items but not others, leaving several items unpaid for. (Video footage will be uploaded to Axon Evidence when AP is able to obtain the surveillance). The sum of all unpaid merchandise, including the energy drinks the boys consumed, was $104.20  

SEND IN THE SATELLITES 

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