BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
A bench warrant has been issued in Los Alamos Magistrate Court by Judge Pat Casados for Patricia MacMillan, 37, of Los Alamos after she failed to appear in Court Friday on a charge of abuse of a child. Court documents indicate that the child reported to school officials and police that MacMillan struck her in the face with a hairbrush. Court documents also note that the child has serious attendance at school.
Although the warrant was issued in the above case, MacMillan has a second pending child abuse charge that was filed January 31. In that case, the child showed up at a neighbor’s house in below freezing temperatures without appropriate cold weather clothing seeking assistance and claiming MacMillan kicked her out of her home, according to Court documents.
A third pending case that was bound over to District Court involves two charges of possession of a controlled substance, one charge each of open container, possession of drug paraphernalia, no insurance, no driver’s license and false evidence of title and registration.
In Magistrate Court Friday, MacMillan’s pretrial probation officer reported that reported to her once or twice after she was ordered to participation in pretrial services. The probation officer said the last time Macmillan last checked in February 9 and had not kept in any kind of contact.
Deputy District Attorney Mary McCleary reminded Judge Casados that the case was “likely to be conflicted out down the road”.
“However, the appearance of impropriety aside, I think even if the state were to stand mute, the Court would be issuing a bench warrant. The concern was that there would be an appearance of impropriety where I would be too easy on Ms MacMillan so just for the purposes of this hearing, I am standing in and I have to ask for a bench warrant,” McCleary said.
The probation officer told the Court she wanted to clarify that she has had MacMillan on pretrial services before.
“It’s the same situation every time. She shows up once or twice or calls in for a bit and then she just falls off the rail and does not make any attempt,” she said.
She added that MacMillan’s drug tests through her office have been positive for methamphetamine.