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WEBVTT ANNOUNCER: COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS AT 6:00 STARTS NOW. >> THE SUSPECT IN A DOUBLE HOMICIDE, WAS A NO SHOW IN COURT, BEFORE THE KILLING. YOU’LL BE SHOCKED TO HEAR HOW MANY OTHER ACCUSED FELONS, ALSO FAIL TO APPEAR. A MEASLES OUTBREAK HAS HEALTH OFFICIALS WORRIED. -- >> TARGET 7’S NANCY LAFLIN FOUND OUT, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CHARGED WITH FELONIES, ARE BLOWING OFF THE COURTS TOO. >> IF YOU DON’T THINK THIS CASE IMPACTS YOU, THINK AGAIN. EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE PEOPLE INVOLVED. HERE’S WHY. >> TWO YOUNG MEN, GUNNED DOWN AT A CONVENIENCE STORE. POLICE SAY JAMES CHAVEZ HAD JUST SWIPED A BAG OF CHIPS AND WATER WHEN THE TWO MEN ESCORTED OFF THE PROPERTY, HE SHOT THEM. WE FOUND OUT THOUGH THAT POLICE HAD BUSTED CHAVEZ IN NOVEMBER, AND THEY CHARGED HIM WITH AUTO THEFT AND DRUGS. COURT RECORDS SHOW HE GOT OUT OF JAIL AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON COURT SUPERVISION, BUT WAS A NO SHOW. >> THIS OF COURSE IS THE NIGHTMARE THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM DIDN’T WANT TO SEE. THEY TRIED TO IMPLEMENT THESE NUMERALS WHICH GENERALLY ARE IN , LINE WITH WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY. >> NEW RULES, THAT KICKED IN IN BERNALILLO COUNTY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. A PUBLIC SAFETY ASSESSMENT TOOL, A MATH CALCULATION THAT TRIES TO PREDICT WHETHER SOMEONE WILL SHOW BACK UP TO COURT. IN CHAVEZ CASE, HE WAS RELEASED FROM JAIL IN NOVEMBER WITH SUPERVISION BUT HE NEVER SHOWED , UP FOR HIS COURT DATE. WE FOUND OUT, HE’S FAR FROM THE ONLY ONE MISSING COURT. WE CHECKED WITH METRO COURT. THEY SAY ABOUT 3800 PEOPLE WERE BUSTED FOR FELONIES LAST YEAR AND GOT OUT OF JAIL. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE UNDER SUPERVISION, BUT ONE THIRD OF THEM WERE NO SHOWS. >> IF YOU HAVE ONE THIRD OF PEOPLE NOT EVEN SHOWING UP TO THEIR PRETRIAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE COURT’S PRETRIAL SERVICES DIVISION IT TELLS YOU THERE’S SOMETHING THAT’S GONE AWRY WITH THE SYSTEM BECAUSE ONE THIRD OF THOSE PEOPLE AREN’T EVEN SHOWING UP FOR THE INITIAL INTERVIEW. >> THESE NEW RULES WERE MANDATED BY THE NEW MEXICO SUPREME COURT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE INTENTION WAS TO BASIC

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Albuquerque police say a man shot and killed two guys over a bag of chips and water. Turns out that suspect was recently busted for another crime, got out of jail, then blew off his court dates. Target 7 found out hundreds of people charged with felonies are blowing off the courts too. Police say James Chavez had just swiped a bag of chips and water from an Albuquerque convenience store. When the two men escorted him off the property, he shot them. Target 7 found out APD had just busted Chavez in November on charges of auto theft and drugs, records show. Court records show he got out of jail and was supposed to be on court supervision, but was a no show. KOAT found out he's far from the only one missing court. We checked with metro court. A spokeswoman says about 3,800 people were busted for felonies last year and got out of jail. They were supposed to be under supervision but 1/3 were no shows. "This of course is the nightmare the judicial system didn't want to see because they tried to implement these new rules, which generally are in line with what's going on around the country," said KOAT legal expert John Day. Those new rules kicked in in Bernalillo County about a year and a half ago, and were mandated by the New Mexico Supreme Court. The local courts now use a public safety assessment tool, a math calculation, to try and predict whether someone will show back up to court. The intention was to basically eliminate the bail bond system. A lot of people believe bonds are skewed in favor of people who have money and can afford to get lawyers, pay a bond, and get out of jail.