Last defendant in NM courthouse scandal pleads

Lawyer Blogs

The last defendant in a courthouse construction scandal that involved a once-powerful New Mexico politician has pleaded guilty in the case.

Construction manager Michael Murphy's plea Wednesday in federal court closes the case, which earlier led to guilty pleas by former state Senate President Pro Tem Manny Aragon and six other defendants.

Defendants were accused of using inflated and false invoices to bilk the state of $4.2 million during construction of the county courthouse in Albuquerque.

Murphy pleaded guilty to accepting a $20,000 check from a co-defendant, former court administrator Toby Martinez.

The 59-year-old Murphy faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Aragon faces 5 1/2 years in prison in a plea deal.

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Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.

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