Judge gives defendant tongue lashing at sentencing

ALAMOSA — “I think you’re full of crap, plain and simple,” District Judge Michael Gonzales told Nicholas Quintana, 22, when he sentenced him for stealing money to support his drug habit.

Quintana had told the judge he was doing better, did not want a felony charge on his record and had a job starting that evening at 5.

The judge reminded Quintana he had let him out of jail on June 26 for pre-trial tracking, and by July 3 he had tested positive for multiple drugs. If Quintana had been serious about being on probation, he would have stayed away from drugs, the judge said.

“You didn’t do that because you didn’t want to,” he told Quintana.

“I am tired of seeing young people who don’t give a damn about their own lives,” Judge Gonzales said.

He said it seemed that too many defendants coming before him were taking the easy way out by sticking a needle in their arms or something up their noses instead of working to take their lives back, and he was tired of it.

The judge added that Quintana had not worked in more than a year but then came into the courtroom at sentencing time and magically had a job he would start at 5 p.m. that day.

“You are 22. You should not have gone a year without a job,” Gonzales told Quintana.

The judge said there is something wrong when a lady cannot even go to the library and set her purse down without somebody taking it to steal money for drugs, which is what occurred in this case.

“People deserve to be able to go to the library and set down their purse without people like you taking advantage of them,” Gonzales added.

“I am sick and tired of people like you who are lazy who are shiftless who don’t give a damn about themselves,” Judge Gonzales told Quintana.

The judge added, “I think you are full of it. I think you are completely full of crap.”

He added that it was easy to “flap your gums” about being serious about changing, but it means nothing unless there’s action behind it.

Judge Gonzales warned Quintana, “You’d better wake up right now,” or he would wind up in prison.

Judge Gonzales sentenced Quintana to two years probation with the requirement he either be employed or in school full time. In addition to other fines, fees and requirements, the judge sentenced Quintana to 90 days in the county jail with all but 10 days suspended. He told Quintana that if he could obtain a job for the sentencing day he could get one when he got out of jail as well.