DA seeks answers from New Mexico Supreme Court on bail rules

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The top prosecutor for New Mexico's most populous judicial district wants the state Supreme Court to clarify the circumstances under which certain defendants can be held without bail pending trial. Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torrez announced Wednesday that he'll be filing a writ with the high court. The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2nklO9Z) that Torrez's move came after he watched a federal proceeding in which a U.S. magistrate ordered Paul Salas held pending trial. Salas is accused of 47 armed robberies in the Albuquerque area. Salas is facing state and federal charges. In state court, prosecutors tried to get him held without bail but a judge instead set bond at $100,000, which Salas didn't post. Last year, voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing state judges to hold certain defendants without bail pending trial.