Property manager wants to step into Judge Gallegos' shoes.
In the wild kingdom, it's called the
Ampullae of Lorenzini.
A finely tuned sensory organ-located in the snout of a Great White Shark for instance-that allows an animal to detect miniscule electrical currents produced by other animals over great distances.
In politics, it's just called instinct.
Then again, Peter Komis didn't need an
Ampullae
of Anything to feel the shock waves that have rippled through Santa Fe since allegations surfaced about the purported ethical violations of Municipal Court Judge Frances Gallegos. He just needed to read the paper.
The controversy surrounding Gallegos-sparked by an Aug. 7 story in the Santa Fe New Mexican alleging the judge altered DWI sentencing records-heated up Aug. 12 when the state Judicial Standards Commission filed three separate petitions seeking Gallegos' immediate suspension without pay for what a press release called "a myriad of ethical violations." At press time, no action had been taken by the state Supreme Court, which is considering the petitions.
On Aug. 9, the 41-year-old Komis sent a letter of intent to Mayor Larry Delgado expressing his interest in filling Gallegos' position should the judge be forced to vacate the bench even temporarily.
"I didn't want to just wait and see what happens," Komis says. "I'm not trying to push Fran out the door by any means. I have nothing against her. But I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately if she is asked to step down for any length of time."
Komis-a commercial real estate property manager-is president of the Don Gaspar Neighborhood Association and serves on the city's Board of Adjustment and the Civic Center Task Force. In his letter to the mayor, Komis offers his experience serving the First Judicial Court as a deputy clerk and court monitor as evidence toward his qualifications for the bench.
"I think a municipal judge should be a positive reflection of the community they serve," Komis says. "I was born and raised in Santa Fe. I know the community well. I'm very familiar with court procedures. I think I would be a good municipal court judge if my services are needed."
According to James Noel, executive director of the Judicial Standards Commission, any decision on replacing Gallegos won't be made until the Supreme Court levies a ruling on the petitions. When it does, the city is in charge of instituting the replacement.
"I know that there are mechanisms in place to handle the docket," Noel says. "[But] that would be the role of the City of Santa Fe in this. The Commission can't appoint judges, temporary or otherwise."
City Attorney Bruce Thompson says that the city currently has two judges on contract to fill in at Municipal Court, though city code and charter allows for the mayor to appoint a replacement temporarily-in the case of a suspension-and permanently in the event that Gallegos is forced to step down.
Gallegos, for her part, isn't going anywhere without a fight. In an Aug. 16 press release, the judge continued to deny the allegations against her while welcoming a thorough inquiry by the Supreme Court and the Judicial Standards Commission.
"I will not try these allegations in the press, but in the proper forum as required by the Judicial Standards Commission," Gallegos wrote. "I am certain that when all the facts be known, these concerns and allegations will be set to rest."
