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Court offers ‘second chance days’ for those with bench warrants

By Bill Donovan
Special to the Navajo Times

GALLUP, Jan. 17, 2014

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(Times photo - Donovan Quintero)

TOP: Judge April J. Silversmith with the New Mexico Magistrate Court listens to a woman speak about her case Thursday afternoon in Gallup. Under a program called New Mexico Safe Surrender, any person with a bench warrant from any Magistrate Court in New Mexico is given an opportunity to take care of their warrants for charges they may have forgotten to take care of. "It's an opportunity for those people to take care of unfinished matters," said Judge Silversmith. Safe Surrender will be held from noon to 7 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.

BOTTOM: A flier stating what people who have bench warrants in New Mexico can do is held up in front of the Magistrate court Thursday afternoon in Gallup. Under a program called New Mexico Safe Surrender, any person with a bench warrant from any Magistrate Court in New Mexico is given an opportunity to take care of their warrants for charges they may have forgotten to take care of. "It's an opportunity for those people to take care of unfinished matters," said Judge Silversmith. Safe Surrender will be held from noon to 7 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.


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The courtrooms at the new magistrate building in Gallup were packed Thursday as people with outstanding bench warrants came in to try and settle their legal problems.

The reason was that Gallup was holding its first Operation Second Chance, a three-day event that allows people with warrants to come in to see the judges who are promising to make it as easy as possible to clear up a person’s record.

Kristie Jaramillo, a judicial supervisor for the magistrate courts, said these second chance days have been held throughout the state and all have been very successful.

Court officials have been encouraging people with bench warrant to take advantage of the opportunity because it’s a lot better than being picked up by police and being taken to jail and having to come up with money to bail oneself out.

Another aspect of this is that people can come in who have bench warrants from any law enforcement agency in New Mexico.

The courts will be open from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

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