Trial against Rio Arriba County sheriff to move to Santa Fe

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A trial of Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan will take place in Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a judge granted prosecutors’ motion Monday to move out of Rio Arriba County.

The judge cited the need for a bigger space and the limited number of potential jurors.

Prosecutors had argued that jurors would be intimidated by the sheriff.

The 60-year-old sheriff is awaiting trial on three misdemeanor counts of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

He is accused of showing up drunk at the home of a former Española city councilor last year and trying to take over the serving of a search warrant.