Verdict reached in case against New Mexico man charged under Bennie’s Law
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A verdict was reached in the landmark trial for the first New Mexico parent charged under Bennie’s Law. Questa father William Brown was charged with negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor.
After about two hours of deliberation on Friday, the jury found Brown not guilty.
Bennie’s Law was enacted in 2023 and holds gun owners accountable when a minor uses their weapon to hurt or threaten someone.
Throughout the case, the prosecution argued that Brown was partly responsible for the shooting death of 13-year-old Amber Archuleta. The prosecution showed the jury photos of multiple guns found unsecured inside his Questa home, the same home where Brown’s son, Porfirio Brown, is accused of shooting and killing Archuleta while the teens were hanging out with friends.
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“What do we know, well we do know that we had a house, it was the Brown residence owned by the Browns, and that the guns in there belonged to Mr. Brown. We’ve got photos of the house, and of the weapons and how they were secured,” said Marcus Montoya, Taos County district attorney.
The defense argued the state did not show evidence that Brown owned the firearm related to the shooting and asked the judge to dismiss the case. Judge Emilio Chavez said he would leave the decision up to the jury. “The state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Brown kept or stored a firearm. We know that. But when you go back there, and you revisit the instructions, you’ll see that it’s not about a firearm, it’s not about any firearm. It’s about the firearm used in the killing of miss Amber Archuleta,” said defense attorney Aaron Mitchell.
Brown was facing 18 months behind bars if convicted. Brown’s son Porfirio’s trial ended in March with a hung jury.
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