Latino media grapples with how to cover the Nury Martinez scandal
Nury Martinez has been out of prison for 24 days now. After a two-day parole review, Martinez is scheduled for another review on Thursday. If the parole board decides to revoke his parole, Martinez could be back behind bars before he was even cleared of the charge.
While Martinez has been on parole, his brother-in-law, Nery Martinez, has filed a lawsuit against the Santa Fe County Attorney’s Office and Santa Fe Police Department, as well as Albuquerque’s Municipal Police Department and the city attorney’s office.
Nury Martinez, who was arrested and charged with four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of criminal mischief, and one count of driving under the influence, is suing the county attorney’s office, police department, and the municipal police department for defamation and emotional distress. Among the allegations:
The Santa Fe County Attorney’s Office defamed Nury Martinez by accusing him of being involved in the assault of one woman and one man.
Nury Martinez’s wife is suing the police department and the city for defamation and emotional distress after her husband’s arrest.
The police department and city attorney’s office are also accused of defamation and emotional distress.
Martinez’s attorney, James White, says all of the allegations against him are baseless and that the county attorney’s office and the city attorney’s office are being “politically motivated” to make him lose his parole.
White claims Nury Martinez was falsely arrested and falsely accused of committing the assault and battery because he was black. It’s possible he was, but he’s not arguing that. Instead, he’s saying the charges were made just to make him lose his parole.
The Martinez family’s lawyer, Jim Moir, does not dispute Nury’s involvement in the alleged attack, only that he was arrested after the fact. Moir, who is white, insists the arrest was based on insufficient cause