“A recent op-ed piece, by the victim of a terrible and violent crime, accused New Mexico criminal defense attorneys of acting in the Legislature to gain financially.

“All New Mexicans are horrified by violence. Violence that takes the life of a child shakes our community to its foundation and damages families in irreparable and unimaginable ways.

“All victims and families have the right to grieve and advocate in their own way, including lobbying lawmakers for longer sentences.

“However, lawmakers have to work for the good of the whole state and look at the whole budget”.