Trial of Halloween for judge accused of corruption

A trial is scheduled for late October for a judge in Las Cruces, accused of corruption in a system of toll assumed for appointments to the judiciary.

Jury selection began on October 31 in the case against the State, judge of the Court of District of Michael Murphy. A planning order has been made in the case earlier this week.

Murphy pleaded not guilty to felony charges, including corruption and intimidation of a witness in May.

According to a report by the prosecution investigators, Murphy said a lawyer from Las Cruces in 2007 that she needed to make weekly payments in the form of campaign contributions and deliver them to a local politician for a visit of the Court of district by then Governor Bill Richardson.

Richardson denied that contributions to campaigns influenced his appointments to the judiciary.

Copyright 2011 the Associated Press.

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