NM: State Supreme Court says sex offender parole applies even without prison time

The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that people convicted of certain sex crimes must serve an indeterminate parole term even if they do not serve time in state prison.

In a unanimous opinion, the justices ruled that an Otero County man was improperly discharged from a 5 to 20-year sex offender parole term. “Indeterminate sex offender parole is in fact imposed at sentencing because the Legislature has stated in Section 31-21-10.1(A) that the district court must include it in the judgment and sentence for certain enumerated sex crimes,” Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas wrote for the Court.

The Court said parole attaches at sentencing along with the basic sentence, even though the parole term does not begin until the initial sentence is completed. The justices said the statute requires sex offender parole when a defendant is sentenced to prison for certain sex crimes, but does not require the defendant to actually serve time in prison before the parole term applies.

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3 thoughts on “NM: State Supreme Court says sex offender parole applies even without prison time

  • June 18, 2026

    They have NO boundaries. They say they go by the law, but the problem is, they ARE the law, and can change or modify guidelines or laws to fit any situation to meet whatever end they desire. I don’t see this as justice, I see this as criminals playing god.

    Reply
  • June 18, 2026

    Indeterminate?

    Reply
  • June 18, 2026

    Gee, as if the registry isn’t bad enough, WTH!

    Reply

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