ALAMOSA — Alamosa County Clerk and Recorder Mari Felix appeared in court on Wednesday where she entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of accessory to a crime. The charge against Felix is related to her alleged connection to a case involving her husband, Martin Felix-Lopez, who stands accused of sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust.
Felix’s plea was entered after a series of delays following her first appearance in court in February. At that time, the hearing was continued to March with Michael Martin, Felix’s attorney, stating he “was hoping for a dispositional conference with the district attorney.”
According to Megan Martinez, director of administration with the District Attorney’s Office, a dispositional conference takes place when the prosecution and defense see if a disposition in the case can be reached instead of going to trial.
No disposition was reached.
Subsequent delays were the result of, first, Martin telling the court that “he could not open” a file from the prosecution containing evidence in the case. Then, the DA’s office newly hired Assistant District Attorney, Wesley Stafford, took over prosecution, delaying proceedings further as he became familiar with his case load.
It should be noted that Stafford came to the DA’s office with extensive experience in prosecuting child abuse cases – including child sexual abuse – in Miami and Houston.
Each time a hearing was delayed, Martin agreed to the continuance, telling District Judge Crista Newmyer-Olsen, presiding, that he felt there was the probability of reaching a resolution with the prosecution prior to going to trial.
Felix entering the not guilty plea on Wednesday indicates that, at least at this point, there is no resolution as the trial is slated to begin on March 21, 2025, and to last four days. Felix waived her “right to a speedy trial”, allowing the trial to begin more than six months after she entered her plea.
If convicted of the crime, Colorado Revised Statute §§ 18-8-105(1)(5), states Felix could face from one to three years in the Department of Corrections and or a fine of $1,000 to $100,000 plus two years of mandatory parole.
In mid-December of 2023, Mari Felix was taken into custody after a child reported to her school counselor a history of sexual abuse by Felix-Lopez.
At that time, Felix was charged with four felonies for alleged complicity in sexual assault on a child and child abuse. However, in early January of 2024, District Attorney Anne Kelly reduced those charges to a single count of accessory to a crime, a class five felony.
When asked to comment on the reduction of charges, DA Kelly declined, stating it was a case currently in litigation, which prohibits her from discussing any details. Felix is next scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18, for a status hearing.
Felix has been Alamosa County Clerk and Recorder since July of 2022 when she was appointed to the position following the resignation of her predecessor, Nicole Jaramillo. Just a few months later, Felix, who ran unopposed, was elected to office.
