Biden’s nominee was confirmed as federal judge for New Mexico

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SANTA FE, NM (AP) Las Cruces -based defense and civil rights attorney Margaret Strickland was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to serve as a federal judge in New Mexico, where the two previously appointed since former President Donald Trump stepped aside from running in the 2020 election.

Strickland is among President Joe Bidens ’first slate of nominees on the federal bench announced in March. He confirmed on Tuesday a 52-45 Senate vote, including supporting votes by U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujn.

Trump’s earlier nominations to fill two vacancies in the U.S. District Court in New Mexico were postponed to September 2020 by Heinrich and Sen. Tom Udall, who was succeeded by Lujns. They said Trump’s policy censored the judicial nomination process that was clearly used as a tool for campaigning shortly before the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and postponed the custody process until after the elections in 2020.

Another U.S. Court vacancy in New Mexico could go to Biden’s nominee David Urias, who worked for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Heinrich praised Strickland for his familiarity with the Southwest region along the United States border with Mexico and his work ethic.

The New Mexico U.S. District Court is looking forward to visiting judges to ease pressure on its solid dockets of immigration and drug trafficking cases.

Republican Judge Kea W. Riggs filled a vacancy in the U.S. local Court in 2019, and Trump also paved the way for 2017 for former Roswell -based attorney Joel Carson to join the 10th Circuit US Court of Appeals to succeed Paul Joseph Kelly.

Strickland takes up a judicial lifetime appointment at age 41. He began his career in the Public Defender’s Law Offices for the state of New Mexico, from 2006 to 2011. He continued his career as a partner at McGraw & Strickland , representing more than 70 clients in litigation and dispute before the state’s Supreme Court.

Among the civil rights claims, Strickland is representing Jillian and Andrew Beck in a lawsuit against two Las Cruces police officers on allegations of brutality and civil rights violations. The couple won a jury trial and received a $ 1.4 million settlement award in 2018.

Lujn said Strickland brings professional diversity to federal courts as a former public defender.

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