Criminal Justice

HB 61 increases penalties for assaulting police officers in New Mexico. It directly affects individuals who commit battery against officers while they are lawfully performing duties. The bill reclassifies two types of offenses: causing temporary disfigurement or loss of body function becomes a fourth-degree felony, while inflicting great bodily harm or using deadly weapons raises the charge to a second-degree felony. These changes modify existing criminal penalties under Section 30-22-25 of New Mexico law, making the most severe assaults carry significantly higher penalties.