Court Abused Contempt Powers in Crowd Control

As an arbitrator and hearing officer/ALJ in New Mexico, I am occasionally confronted with the issue of proper use of contempt and contempt-like powers.  I have from time to time been frustrated with the arbitrator and hearing examiner's relative lack of powers to compel compliance.  However, reading a recent New Mexico court decision, it occurred to me without such powers we are also insulated from their potential abuse in heated situations. 

On Perceptions of Justice

As a professional "neutral" (mediator and arbitrator) in New Mexico, I am keenly interested in due process, fair hearings and equal access to justice.  In 2008, the ABA Judicial Division Lawyers conference began a multi-year "Perceptions of Justice" (POJ) project to address concerns over public perceptions as to how the judicial system handles race and ethnicity, and its first phase has now completed. This blog post discusses the recommendations, findings and observations of six separate "town hall meetings" held across the nation from February 2009 to February 2011, as part of Phase 1.