Membership & Staff

The New Mexico Sentencing Commission (NMSC) serves as a criminal and juvenile justice policy resource to the three branches of state government and interested citizens.

Its mission is to provide impartial information, analysis, recommendations, and assistance from a coordinated cross-agency perspective with an emphasis on maintaining public safety and making the best use of our criminal and juvenile justice resources.

The Commission is made up of representatives from the criminal justice system, including members of the Executive and Judicial branches, legislators’ appointees, law enforcement officials, criminal defense attorneys, and citizens.

  • Bob Cleavall, Chair
  • Martin Suazo, Vice Chair
  • Cindy Aragon, appointed by the State Bar
  • Bennett Baur, Chief Public Defender
  • Jason Bowie, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety
  • Hon. Daniel A. Bryant, appointed by the District and Metropolitan Court Judges' Association
  • Sheriff Mark Cage,  appointed by the House Minority Floor Leader
  • Teresa Casados, Secretary of the Children, Youth, and Families Department
  • Ambrosio Castellano, appointed by the Speaker of the House
  • Hon. John Chavez, appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court
  • Mark Donatelli, appointed by the Speaker of the House
  • Gregory Gaudette, appointed by the Senate Minority Floor Leader
  • Claire Harwell, appointed by the Governor
  • Brady Horn, Ph.D., appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court
  • April Land, for the Dean of UNM School of Law
  • Krista Lawrence, appointed by the Governor
  • Ramona J. Martinez, appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem 
  • Anita Mesa, designee of Behavioral Health Services Division
  • Angela "Spence" Pacheco, appointed by the Speaker of the House
  • Hon. R. David Pederson, appointed by the District and Metropolitan Court Judges' Association
  • Arthur Pepin, Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court
  • Dr. Arsenio Romero, Secretary of Public Education
  • Alisha Tafoya Lucero, Secretary of Corrections
  • Raul Torrez, Attorney General
  • Clint Wellborn, appointed by the New Mexico District Attorneys' Association
  • Sydney West, appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem
  • Vacant Slots: a county sheriff to be appointed by New Mexico Counties
  • Linda Freeman, New Mexico Sentencing Commission Executive Director
  • Douglas Carver, New Mexico Sentencing Commission Deputy Director