Taos News

Third motion to revoke homicide suspect’s release denied

By LIAM EASLEY leasley@taosnews.com

When 8th Judicial District judge Jeffrey Shannon asked defense attorney Aleksandar Kostich where his client was at in an evidentiary motion hearing on Tuesday (May 23), he was unsure. That moment, he asked her to share her location, and Josie Ortega’s response echoed over the courtroom speakers. She was attending virtually.

The hearing, which was meant to be in-person, spelled disaster for the defense from the get-go, but the state’s motion to revoke Ortega’s conditions of release was once more denied by Shannon — the third motion of this exact nature to come to such a conclusion in Ortega’s case.

Ever since she was granted a conditional discharge on March 28, she has been required to submit herself to three urinary analysis tests each week at Human Resource Development Associates (HRDA) in Taos, but HRDA program director Al Gonzales, who was subpoenaed for Tuesday’s hearing, informed the court she had only attended three examinations since March.

Ripol retained his stance that Ortega had been using this period of release to drink, adamantly declaring her to be an alcoholic for several hearings now. Kostich cited transportation issues as a reason for Ortega’s spotty attendance both in court and at HRDA.

Although he denied the motion, Shannon told prosecutor Cosme Ripol to prepare a motion and warrant for Ortega’s arrest, which he would sign only if she misses another urinary analysis. The case is set to go to trial on July 10.

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2023-05-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://taosnews.pressreader.com/article/282127820846310

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