Suspended NM Judge Arrested On New Bribery Charge

A New Mexico judge who was indicted on bribery charges was arrested Thursday on a new bribery charge, according to police officials.

Suspended Judge Mike Murphy was arrested on an additional charge of bribery of a public officer or a public official, said a New Mexico police spokesman, Sgt. Tim Johnson.

Murphy, a judge for the Las Cruces 3rd Judicial District Court, was indicted on May 13. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, included the following third-degree felonies: demanding or receiving a bribe; bribery of a public officer or employee; and bribing, intimidating or retaliating against a witness. The fourth charge was a fourth-degree felony of criminal solicitation.

A Dona Ana County grand jury came to the decision after witnesses testified behind closed doors for one day. Those witnesses included former appeals Judge Beverly Singleman; District Court Judges Lisa Schultz, Stephen Bridgforth and Jim Martin; court employee Norm Osborne; and Edgar Lopez, former secretary of former Gov. Bill Richardson's finance committee for southern New Mexico during Richardson's election and re-election.

It is alleged that Murphy bribed Richardson's administration five years ago in exchange for his judicial appointment, as well as solicited other judicial candidates, according to the Sun-News.