LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — New Mexico law enforcement officials told lawmakers Monday that recorded jail calls and case records show some juveniles charged with violent crimes openly mocking and dismissing the state’s justice system, confident they will face little or no consequence for their actions.
The testimony came during Monday’s meeting of a legislative juvenile justice task force in Las Cruces, where police chiefs and prosecutors presented evidence they say illustrates how repeat juvenile offenders have learned to exploit weaknesses in the state’s Children’s Code.
Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story described recorded phone calls in which juveniles charged with serious felony offenses discussed “beating” their cases by manipulating the state’s competency process.
“One kid said, ‘I don’t care. I’ll beat the case,’” Story told lawmakers. “He said, ‘I’m just going to do this test, and once I do this test, my case gets dismissed.’”
Story said the juvenile was referring to a competency evaluation and spoke with apparent confidence based on prior experience.
“He said he’s beaten every case that way,” Story said. “Those are their words, not mine.”
According to Story, the same juvenile referenced a prior shooting that left a victim paralyzed and expressed no concern about accountability, telling another person on the call that he expected to be released again.
Story said such conversations are consistent with patterns seen across multiple cases involving repeat violent offenders.
“They already know they have a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Story said. “They talk about it like it’s no big deal.”
Law enforcement leaders told lawmakers the behavior reflects a broader collapse of deterrence in the juvenile system, particularly when juveniles are repeatedly released after being found incompetent to stand trial.
“When juveniles know there are no consequences, they don’t respect probation, they don’t respect court orders, and they don’t respect victims,” Story said.
Officials also cited data showing that juveniles charged with felony-level crimes frequently reoffend while cases are pending or after dismissal. Story testified that since 2020, dozens of juveniles statewide have been charged with murder, aggravated assault and weapons violations, many with multiple prior arrests.
Prosecutors and judges at the hearing confirmed that once a juvenile is found incompetent under state law, courts are often left with no option but to dismiss charges and release the defendant.
“One judge said there was nothing I could do but accept the report and release them,” a prosecutor told the task force, describing cases where juveniles “terrorized” communities for months before federal authorities intervened.
Several lawmakers said the testimony raised serious concerns about public safety and accountability, particularly for victims of violent crime.
“This is not kids being kids,” one legislator said during the hearing. “These are repeat violent offenders who clearly know how to game the system.”
Changes to New Mexico’s criminal competency statutes enacted last year apply only to adults, leaving juvenile proceedings governed by older provisions that critics say lack meaningful enforcement tools.
Law enforcement officials urged lawmakers to revise juvenile competency laws, probation standards and sentencing authority during the upcoming legislative session, warning that without reform, the state risks continuing what they described as a revolving door for violent juvenile offenders.
“We don’t have accountability or rehabilitation right now,” Story said. “And when offenders know that, they act accordingly.”
