NM: a boss who has your back

Homage to Christian Hatfield, choosing the right and going to jail for his troubles. From the Farmington Daily Times:

Chief public defender put in jail: Judge finds attorney in contempt of court

Chief Public Defender Christian Hatfield spent nearly two hours in jail Friday morning after Aztec Magistrate Judge Wilma Charley found him in contempt of court...

The chief public defender's arrest stemmed from a decision to not back down from an ethical duty, Hatfield said. Stephen Taylor, an attorney with the Public Defender's Office, was representing 23-year-old Ismael Cordova on a misdemeanor charge of battery against a household member, he said. Taylor realized he previously represented a witness scheduled to testify against Cordova during the 23-year-old man's Friday morning trial...

Believing there would be a conflict of interest when the witness arrived in court Friday morning, Taylor called Hatfield to the courtroom. Hatfield said he told Charley the trial should be postponed and another attorney needed to be appointed to the case.

"I said it was an ethical violation, and she basically said, OK, go to jail," he said.

Miss Tyrios admires him. Ruth works with him:

The upshot was that my boss went to jail so that my co-worker wouldn't have to. Now, that's a good boss! He has always backed us up when we needed him to, whether it was in front of judges, DAs, or the state big-wigs. We know that we can stand our ground and do our jobs to the best of our ability, without worrying about being hung out to dry. And I hope he knows that any one of us would do the same for him. It's really great to be part of an office like this.

Ruth and her co-workers are blessed. What a great office!