BARBARA ROMO
NOBODY MORE QUALIFIED
Barbara Romo is currently the Chief Deputy District Attorney for the 13th Judicial District. Prior to being appointed Chief Deputy she served the district as a Deputy District Attorney for 5 years. She’s been practicing law in New Mexico for over 24 years, having worked for eight years in the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties) prosecuting a variety of felonies and heading up the Felony Crimes Against Children Unit exclusively prosecuting felony crimes against children and homicides.
Prior to joining the 13th Judicial District Barbara also served as the Chief Deputy in the 7th (Catron, Sierra, Socorro and Torrance Counties) Judicial District for 4 years. Barbara also served as the Lead Attorney for the New Mexico Victim’s Rights Project for two years.
As a prosecutor, Barbara has prosecuted every type of felony and
has tried over 100 cases before juries specializing in crimes against children, sexual assault and homicides. She has also worked as a victims' rights attorney, providing pro bono legal representation to crime victims as well as providing training and assistance to prosecutors, law enforcement, and other agencies who assist
victims of crime.
At the 13th, among other achievements, she was he lead prosecutor leading the prosecution team to obtain a jury verdict of First Degree Murder for slain Rio Rancho police officer Gregg Nigel Benner. This resulted in the first sentence of life without parole obtained in the State upon a jury verdict, after the State's repeal of the death penalty.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS & AWARDS
She has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Prosecutor’s Section of the New Mexico State Bar Association and currently serves on the New Mexico Supreme Court’s Rules of Evidence and Criminal Procedure Committees. Barbara has been much lauded receiving the Community Service Prosecutor Award in 2018, Prosecutor of the Year in 2016, Rookie Prosecutor of the Year in 1997 all from the New Mexico District Attorney Association. She also received the Homer Campbell Child Abuse Prosecutor of the Year in 2015 from the Prosecutor's Section of the New Mexico State Bar Association.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska Law School, Barbara also has a Masters in Management and is an Army Veteran with the rank of Captain. Barbara has been married to her husband Onorio for 33 years — also a veteran and a two-time recipient of the Silver Star— and raised her two grown children, a daughter, Xochitl and a son Cuautemoc. in Rio Rancho, NM
MISSION
AGENDA
BARBARA UNDERSTANDS THAT THE CREATION OF PRINCIPLED POLICIES REQUIRES COMMUNITY COLLABORATION, COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING. HER COMMITMENT AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS JUST THAT—PRINCIPLED POLICIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE 13TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.
PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE
Barbara is recognized nationally and is one of the leading experts in the State of New Mexico on Child Abuse and Sexual Assault. Having worked to change the laws in order to give victims more rights in the judicial process she intends to keep working to protect the most vulnerable among us including but not limited to the elderly, children, and the disabled.
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VICTIM'S RIGHTS
Working with legislators she will continue to fight to increase the rights of crime victims.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIPS
Barbara will work to create strong Law Enforcement Partnerships and fight for increased resources for our district to reduce the rise of violent crime and make our communities safer.
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BAIL LAWS
In collaboration with District Attorneys throughout the state Barbara will work to modify bail laws to make it easier to keep violent offenders in jail.
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EXPANSION OF DIVERSION PROGRAMS
Barbara will strive to increase Diversion Programs and Specialty Courts including those for drug offenses, domestic violence cases, those involving veterans and and other groups with particular needs.
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COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
Barbara will create and develop an on-going community education and outreach program involving community leaders, teachers, families and children.
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