Special Master Requested in Jackson Lawsuit

P&A and other attorneys representing former residents of state facilities at Los Lunas and Fort Stanton have filed a motion in federal court in the Jackson case asking for the appointment of a Special Master, and seeking a hearing to determine whether state officials should be held in contempt for failure to comply with an earlier court order.

The parties agreed to a plan in 1997, which became part of a court order in the case, establishing activities and outcomes which, when consistently achieved, would bring the litigation to an end. The recent motion contends that the state's service system has not only failed to achieve many of the objectives but has deteriorated under the Richardson administration. It cites problems in behavioral services, supported employment, health and safety issues, investigation of abuse, neglect, and deaths, and other areas.