This is a New Mexico story, so I'll omit all comment except to say that I don't know any of the people involved and have no inside knowledge. Like Will Rogers said, all I know is just what I read in the papers, in this instance the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
(Though in the interests of saving my readers the trouble of Googling a rather obscure medical term contained in the article, I will add this link to a MedLine article about hepatic encephalopathy, a very unfortunate condition, symptoms of which can include "Changes in mental state, consciousness, behavior, personality" including confusion, delirium and dementia, each of which could be considered disadvantageous in someone exercising a judge's power over other people's lives.)
The State Supreme Court denied a motion this week filed by the Judicial Standards Commission seeking the removal or retirement of Valencia County Magistrate John "Buddy" Sanchez from office.
...
In June 2006, Sanchez agreed to undergo an evaluation for independent physical and psychological fitness for duty by a panel of four doctors, including a psychiatrist. The medical panel concluded in June that Sanchez was at that time both psychologically and physically unfit to perform the duties of a judge.
Sanchez was placed on indefinite paid administrative medical leave by the Supreme Court in July 2006.
In February, [Judicial Standards Commission counsel James A.] Noel told the Supreme Court during an open hearing that Sanchez was being treated for a number of ailments including alcohol dependency in early remission, severe alcoholic liver disease with cirrhosis, multiple organ failure (liver, renal and pulmonary), portal hypertension, persistent hepatic encephalopathy (a complication of liver failure) with elevated ammonia levels requiring ongoing therapy, and a bacterial infection associated with E. Coli.
The commission's executive director told the court that Sanchez was also diagnosed with chronic prescription opiate use for muscular skeleton pain, personality traits including denial and defensiveness affecting recovery from underlying illness, having a history of brief, reactive psychosis, psychosocial and environmental problems. He said the panel of two medical doctors, one psychiatrist and one sociologist, who evaluated Sanchez twice maintained that he suffers from a chronic alcohol problem and is in severe denial.
In January 2007, the same independent medical panel completed a second fitness for duty evaluation of Sanchez, and again concluded that he was unfit to perform the duties of a judge, Noel said.
Sunday, September 2, 2007 at 02:52PM in
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