Contract counsel curry and roosevelt counties

The New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender Agency is procuring contract counsel services for the 9th Judicial District covering Curry and Roosevelt Counties through a sole source procurement determination. The agency seeks to engage an experienced contract attorney to represent indigent clients in misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony cases, with particular emphasis on conflict-of-interest situations where the Public Defender office cannot provide representation due to internal conflicts. The contract term runs from March 15, 2026, through October 31, 2026. Required qualifications include maintaining good standing with the New Mexico State Bar, demonstrating significant criminal jury and bench trial experience, compliance with Public Defender policies, disclosure of any disciplinary history, and positive judicial assessment. The contractor must satisfy thirteen specified criteria established by the agency. The procurement is based on a sole source determination, which indicates that prior recruitment efforts through an April 2025 Request for Proposals yielded limited attorney interest despite extensive advertising in multiple newspapers, the State Bar Bulletin, social media, the agency website, and the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association list service. The posting is open for a thirty-day challenge period following the February 18, 2026 posting date, with final State Purchasing Agent approval anticipated thereafter.

This sole source procurement is restricted to the identified contractor, Lance Sumrall, who holds an active SHARE Vendor Number (0000135291) and has approximately ten years of law practice experience with significant criminal law background, including prior employment with the 9th Judicial District Attorneys Office. Sumrall currently maintains two existing contracts with the Public Defender office, each valued under $60,000.00. The agency determined that Sumrall is one of only three available contract attorneys in the region and is the sole source capable of meeting the urgent need for conflict representation services, as direct outreach to other specific contractors in the area yielded no willingness to accept cases in these counties. The contract award value is $150,000.00 before tax, with an estimated tax amount of $11,906.25. The procurement is pending the required thirty-day challenge period before final approval, with the challenge period deadline established at March 18, 2026.