LC Judge’s Decision To Unshackle Juvenile Defendants Worries Some

LAS CRUCES, NM. – A judge’s decision to have juvenile defendants unshackled in a Dona Ana County District courtroomhas someworried about the safety of everyone in the building.

On Tuesday, newly-elected District Judge Lisa Schultz ordered two juvenile prisoners, ages 14 and 15, to be un cuffed during their hearing.

The teens’ lawyer had argued the shackles violate their Constitutional and civil rights. The state objected, expressing concern for the safety of others nearby.

Judge Schultz’s ruling was captured on tape and obtained byABC-7. Judge Schultz said, in part:

“The court is very aware of when one of the prisoners at one of our-actually it was city court a number of years ago- tried to climb up through the tiles in the ceiling to escape…the court is however, ever mindful of the light of the Constitution and is not willing to extinguish the light of the constitution.”

With that decision, thejuvenile prisoners were unshackled for about 30 minutes while, according to court reports, they pleaded guilty to violent crimes. One for carrying a deadly weapon, the other for beating a household member and running from police.

Dona Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison is very concerned about Judge Schultz’s decision.

Sheriff Garrison tells ABC-7, “If a prisoner is unshackled, you have a person who can reach out, who can grab something. You can pick up anything from a table, a pencil, people don’t think of that being a deadly weapon…anything. He can punch, he can kick, he can grab a hold of and bite. He can run away.”

On Wednesday, Judge Schultz toldABC-7 she stands by her decision, but that the Court Security Committee will review it and work on a uniform policy in the next few months.