Journal Executive Director Resigns Following Shoplifting Incident In Rio Rancho; Inevitable Result Expected

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On October 4, the Albuquerque Journal published on its front page  the following news story:

HEADLINE: Journal Executive Director Resigns Following Shoplifting Incident In Rio Rancho

The Journal’s executive editor resigned on Thursday after being released from jail on a shoplifting charge in Rio Rancho.

Publisher William P. Lang announced Thursday that Patrick Ethridge “is no longer employed by the Albuquerque Journal.”

“This has been an unfortunate and confusing time for all of us,” Lang said in a statement. “Patrick is a talented writer and hard-working editor, but given the circumstances, moving forward without him was our only realistic course of action. We are grateful for his significant contributions during his short tenure here.”

Ethridge became executive editor and vice president of the Journal on May 30, 2023. With 26 years of experience with newspapers, Ethridge’s most recent role before the Journal was as editor and publisher of the Beatrice Daily Sun in Nebraska.

Lang placed Ethridge on mandatory leave on Sept. 27 after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor shoplifting charge from an Aug. 24 incident at a Walmart in Rio Rancho.

On Sept. 25, a Rio Rancho Municipal Court judge sentenced Ethridge to 90 days in the Sandoval County Detention Center with 80 days suspended.

The Journal was not made aware of the allegations against Ethridge until he had already been booked into jail on a 10-day sentence.

Police said Ethridge allegedly skip-scanned more than $100 worth of items in the Walmart self-checkout — pretending to scan items without paying, according to police. 

Although he initially pleaded guilty, on Thursday Ethridge withdrew that plea and pleaded no contest before being released from jail.

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/journal-executive-editor-resigns-following-shoplifting-incident-in-rio-rancho/article_88b6397e-81cd-11ef-bf52-274d8e0aa3ec.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

There is little doubt that the arrest and jailing of Patrick Ethridge was a major embarrassment to the Albuquerque Journal as was the fact that he managed to  keep the matter quiet from the Albuquerque Journal  for at least a month. Over the years there have been news reporters working for papers who were immediately discharged for DWI and even disorderly conduct.  The resignation of Patrick Etheridge and the circumstances surrounding the charges made his departure inevitable. Below is a link to a related blog article that essentially predicted the result.

Criminal Complaint Filed Against Albuquerque Journal Editor Revealed; Defects In Complaint Noted; All Defenses Waived With Guilty Plea; “The Man Who Represents Himself Has A Fool For A Client”

 

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.