Santa Fe DA: ‘We are going to need to harness a lot of resources to prosecute’

SANTA FE, N.M. — The “Rust” shooting case is expected to be an expensive case that taxpayers will need to cover. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has already made multiple requests for additional funding help.

Carmack-Altwies originally asked the State Board of Finance for $635,000 back in September.

“I do not have the proper funding in my budget to prosecute such a high-profile case,” she wrote in her letter to the board. “My goal and job are to handle this matter to the best of ability using every resource possible to obtain justice for the victims and families in this matter.”

She only got half of what she asked for – just over $317,000 – but she plans to get the other half from the state Legislature.

“This is a very wealthy out-of-towner who will have a slew of lawyers from New York and LA and multiple co-defendants, while one took a plea,” Carmack-Altwies said to KOB 4 Thursday. “It’s an industry that we are going to hire experts for, and experts are very expensive in trials. We are going to need to harness a lot of resources to prosecute this case.”

The special prosecutor in the case, Andrea Reeb, is also serving in the state Legislature. She told KOB 4 she will recuse herself from any vote involving requests for funding.