NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – After three kids were arrested this week for the murder of a bicyclist, juvenile crime is once again in the spotlight. Attorneys who represent young defendants are weighing in on what they see within the community, and what they believe could help prevent kids from becoming career criminals.
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“This is another example of what we’re dealing with as law enforcement is dealing with these younger and younger kids that are getting involved in serious crime,” said Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina at a news conference on Tuesday.
Medina was talking about a horrific crime in the community in which police found that three juveniles were connected to the hit-and-run death of a cyclist in 2024. A crime investigators said they committed for fun.
As the state grapples with how to address the growing problem of kids committing crimes, local attorneys who defend children in court said there are special challenges when it comes to representing kids. “With children, because their brains are not fully developed, they could be incompetent for various reasons due to immaturity,” said Dennica Torres, District Defender for the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender.
The Law Office of the Public Defender wants to see more money allocated for services and rehabilitation to prevent kids from becoming career criminals. “If they are abused or neglected in their home, which is the case with the majority of the kids who enter the juvenile justice system, we really need more safe spaces to put these kids to help them,” said Torres.
Another suggestion: make sure kids who drop out of school are better monitored and receive some sort of schooling. “I think rather than focus on more incarceration and harsher punishment, I think if the focus could be on maybe monitoring these kids that have dropped out of school,” said Lizzy Bunker a Criminal Defense Attorney.
Two major bills in the New Mexico Legislature focused on penalties and resources to help youth get back on track after committing a crime. Both failed this legislative session.