What is a directed verdict? LCPS starts school in July and Mel Gibson comes (back) to town

What is a directed verdict, and why did Christopher Smelser get one?

As 3rd Judicial District Judge Douglas Driggers dismissed the murder charge against a former Las Cruces police officer, the victim's family sat in stunned silence. Their immediate reaction suggested that they, like many at home, did not understand that two years of litigation ended on the judge's order.

Then Driggers called in the jury. He thanked them for their service and expressed gratitude for their punctuality. Then, he discharged them, marking one of the final acts of the stunted trial.

"Is that it?" a family member of the victim, Antonio Valenzuela, whispered in a quivering voice.

That was it.

Many court-watchers — and many of our readers — were shocked by the "directed verdict." It's a term with which many may not be familiar. Las Cruces Sun-News Public Safety Reporter Justin Garcia wrote about what a directed verdict is, how common they are, and how Doña Ana County courts are among one of the most common for directed verdicts, statewide. Justin said:

Admittedly, writing explainers is one of my weakest skills as a journalist. It's always easier for me to speak about how a thing works than it is for me to write about it. Unlike many other story formats, there's not a great structure (at least that I'm aware of) for writing explainers. It's a new format for journalism. That's partly why there's no consistency. Despite my lack of skill on the matter, it's one of the most essential functions of court reporting. 

Lawyers reading my work are often appalled. While one could argue they're easily appalled (that's why they're lawyers), they largely complain that my work isn't specific enough or leaves out some detail or process they believe to be critical. It's a fair critique and an accurate one. But I don't write for lawyers. I write for the people they represent. The directed verdict story is a good example. Most lawyers know what a directed verdict is, why it happens, and how it works. It'd be like writing about why it rains during the monsoon season in New Mexico. For most of us, we know it in our bones. But that makes demystifying the legal process all the more critical. 

Las Cruces Public Schools starts in July for first time

It's the middle of July and school has already started. Not summer school, mind you, but the regular school year.

Las Cruces Public Schools is transitioning to what it's calling a balanced calendar this year, meaning a shorter summer break but longer fall and spring breaks.

Not everyone's a fan. Those against the change cite poor communication from the district, having only a few months to prepare for an earlier start date rather than a whole year and not being able to participate in a tax-free weekend before school starts.

Still, some are taking the changes in stride.

Our reporter, Annya Loya, dove deep into the issue for a story ahead of last week's opening. Annya said:

Reporting on the LCPS parents’ reaction to the balanced calendar was a great reporting experience. After covering events, I hadn’t written a piece that had so many divided opinions for a while. When I initially reached out to the community, I had the false sense that the new calendar was something that no one wanted, based on responses I got online.

It made me think that this would be an easier piece than it was because people seemed to be more on one end than the other. But on my second wave of interviews, the responses took a full 180. I was surprised with the first positive perspective on the issue; I thought it would take more interviews to find someone who supported it. But I was definitely wrong about that. It was really interesting to hear about the different — and valid — opinions, especially from the kids.

New Mel Gibson movie, 'The Informant,' starts filming in Las Cruces

New Mexico’s latest movie production started filming at the Old Doña Ana County Courthouse in Las Cruces this week, featuring Mel Gibson, a familiar face around town.

Gibson was seen around town last year while he was in the area filming “Hot Seat,” also starring Shannen Doherty and Kevin Dillon.

This week, actors and crew members have taken over rooms of the historic building to look like various settings for the film entitled “The Informant.” According to information provided by the New Mexico Film Office, the movie follows an undercover narcotics cop diagnosed with a terminal illness and faced with myriad late bills. In order to financially support his family, the cop works with his partner and their “junkie” informant to stage his own death.

Reporter Leah Romero, who covers trending topics for the Sun-News, was able to get inside the courthouse and got a peek at some of the sets. Leah said:

I found out another movie was being filmed in Las Cruces this week and was able to score an interview with the producer, Daniel Cummings. Photojournalist Meg Potter and I headed over to the Old Doña Ana County Courthouse Tuesday to get a look behind the scenes.

While we didn't get to see star Mel Gibson in person, we did get a look at crew members transforming rooms of the courthouse into scenes set in 1980s New York City. We also got a heads up that Cummings plans to bring at least two more films to the Las Cruces area by the end of the year.

Abortion provider central to Roe reversal case to open in Las Cruces, opponents protest

Las Cruces Women’s Health Organization is preparing to open its doors to provide the people of southern New Mexico and surrounding areas access to abortion care.

Activists who oppose abortion rights have already pledged to fight to try to drive the clinic out of town. One of their first steps will be the planned establishment of a crisis pregnancy center nearby.

The clinic is moving to Las Cruces from Jackson, Mississippi, where it took a central role in the U.S. Supreme Court case that ultimately resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the nearly 50-year-old ruling which found the Constitution protected the right to have an abortion. 

The Jackson center was the only abortion clinic operating in Mississippi — until it recently closed for good.

We sent a team of reporters — including Michael McDevitt, Leah Romero and photojournalist Meg Potter — to cover the protest. Michael reflected on the experience:

This story is a great example of how to take a national story and localize it. The clinic central to the Supreme Court decision which overturned Roe v. Wade is planning to open in Las Cruces, and as local journalists, we are afforded the privilege of being able to explore that as an issue more in-depth than perhaps a national outlet would.

Sure, news organizations from New York to Washington, D.C. to London reported on the Mississippi abortion clinic moving to New Mexico, but far fewer of them will be able to explore whether the clinic finds success in its new location; will abortion access be increased — not just in southern New Mexico, but in nearby parts of Texas? Will the effort of anti-abortion activists to drive the clinic out of town succeed? Questions always linger once national journalists pick up their cameras and move on to the next big thing, and local journalists are essential to filling that void.

Anthony official joins Gadsden ISD board in call for more school resource officers

The availability of school resource officers was the topic of extended debate during Thursday's meeting of the Gadsden Independent School District board.

Nearly two months after the slaughter of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas focused attention on school security, and with the start of classes at Gadsden ISD approaching on Aug. 1, board members debated a proposal by Superintendent Travis Dempsey for funding and assigning three full-time law enforcement officers.

By comparison, the neighboring Las Cruces Public Schools opened its school year with officers assigned to every secondary and middle school who are also tasked with responding to elementary schools in an emergency. LCPS entered an agreement with the Las Cruces Police Department to employ the officers at its Las Cruces sites, as well as with the Town of Mesilla Marshals Office for officers at Zia Middle School and Rio Grande Preparatory Institute.

Gadsden Superintendent Travis Dempsey said the district had budget money available to fund just three officers, at $70,000 annually, of whom two would be assigned in Sunland Park and one in Anthony.

Sun-News Reporter Algernon D'Ammassa attended the meeting. Here's what he had to say:

The mass murder at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, two months ago has heightened attention on the issue of school security. Families have questions about the policies and personnel charged with keeping children safe at school on the day the unspeakable unfolds.

Gadsden ISD is a school district that covers a wide area, much of it rural and encompassing unincorporated communities that do not have local police departments. It also touches two counties, although most of the district is within Doña Ana County.

Gadsden ISD Superintendent Travis Dempsey found budget money to pay for three full-time school resource officers (that is, commissioned law enforcement officers assigned to schools), proposing two for Sunland Park including an area of Santa Teresa the city annexed last year, and one to cover three elementary schools in Anthony.

I got a tip that a member of the Anthony city council was going to show up at the school board meeting to protest this distribution of officers as inequitable. Board members, however, saw an even bigger problem.

On behalf of all of us at the Las Cruces Sun-News, thank you for taking the time to read this week's newsletter.

Damien Willis is a Lead Reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-541-5443, dwillis@lcsun-news.com or @DamienWillis on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Directed verdicts, school in July and Mel Gibson back in Las Cruces