Judge nomination panel to evaluate six

The Ninth District Judges Nominating Commission will meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday in the Curry County Courthouse to evaluate six applicants for the state district court vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Robert Brack to the federal district court bench in Las Cruces.

The commission meeting is open to the public. Applicants to be interviewed are Richard B. Capshaw, Robert S. Orlik, Alvin Joe Parker, Kent Peterson, Michelle O. Reeves and James G. Wilson.

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Accused rapist John Jacobs, 20, appeared Thursday afternoon in Curry County District Court for his pretrial conference, but due to scheduling conflicts his attorney was not present.

According to Assistant District Attorney Matt Chandler, the pretrial conference will not be rescheduled since the two attorneys have agreed by phone that the case is ready to go to trial. Jacobs, a Clovis High School graduate and former Eastern New Mexico University student, stands accused of four sexual assaults in Clovis and one in Portales.

The Portales case will go to trial Oct. 2-3. The Clovis cases are scheduled for trial Oct. 7-8.

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The more seriously injured victim of an Aug. 1 shooting in South Clovis has been discharged from the critical care unit at University Medical Center in Lubbock.

Phillip Gee, 41, and Larry Gomez, 45, were both shot at Gomez’ mobile home on the 100 block of Mississippi Street but so far have been unable to identify their assailants. Gomez was in critical care until this week; Gee’s location has not been released.

“They’re both improving, but unfortunately we really don’t have any new information, we just keep asking the public for anything they might have seen or heard,” Undersheriff Roger Bowman said.

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On Friday and Saturday, firefighters from both Cannon Air Force Base and the Clovis Fire Department will ask local citizens to make donations and drop spare change into a firefighter’s boot for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

According to MDA, the event began 50 years ago and is an annual tradition for the national nonprofit organization. Last year’s efforts helped raise more than $101,000 to help fight muscular dystrophy in the greater Panhandle area.

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Ninth Judicial District Attorney Brett Carter announced Friday morning that a Roosevelt County grand jury returned an indictment against Brian Moshier, 40, of Roswell for homicide by vehicle involving driving while intoxicated, knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and tampering with evidence.

The charges stem from a car-truck collision about 3 a.m. on Aug. 5 between Elida and Portales that killed a two-week-old child who was riding in the back of the car. Carter said Moshier fled the scene on foot and was not found until 17 hours after the wreck when he was arrested at 8:30 p.m. in Elida.

The grand jury heard testimony from the infant’s parents as well as New Mexico State Police officers, the Elida police chief, the office of the medical investigator, and a Portales Fire Department paramedic.

Carter said Moshier remains in the Roosevelt County Detention Center on a $25,000 cash-only bond pending arraignment in Roosevelt County District Court.

Brian Moshier’s brother Mike Moshier said last week his brother fled the scene because he was afraid of going back to jail, having been released a little over a year ago. Brian Moshier said his brother had been arrested in the past for driving while intoxicated.

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The New Mexico State Police have issued a notice that they will be conducting saturation patrols and checkpoints in Curry County during August, with a focus on aggressive and impaired driving habits.

According to the state police, 226 people died in alcohol-related vehicle crashes in New Mexico last year. For drivers over 21, the legal blood alcohol content level is .08.

Cops and Courts is compiled by CNJ staff writer Darrell Todd Maurina. He can be contacted at 763-6991 or: [email protected]