The Line: Recent Rulings From New Mexico’s Highest Court

July 8, 2016 – The highest court in the state ruled at the end of June on two key cases, one about farm and ranch workers’ ability to access workers’ compensation and the other on aid in dying for the terminally ill.

Workers argued that taking away their ability to access the injury compensation insurance caused havoc when the worker did get hurt. The opposing side argued that making farm and ranch owners participate in the program would create a financial squeeze for the industry.

The court ruled that excluding the workers from being able to claim compensation after an injury violated the New Mexico Constitution and the equal protection aspect of the constitution.

The court also ruled on a case that involved a physician assisting a terminally ill patient in their death. The justices voted unanimously in favor of overturning  a previous district court decision stating that doctors could not be prosecuted for assisting in ending the life of terminally ill patients.

Host Gene Grant leads a discussion about both cases this week with our Line opinion panelists.

Line Panelists:
Janice Arnold-Jones, former state representative
Tom Garrity, the Garrity Group PR
Sophie Martin, attorney and editor of DukeCityFix.com
Antoinette Sedillo López, executive director of Enlace Comunitario