A law that allows gun owners in certain situations to be charged if a child obtains their firearm and uses it to commit a crime is not making a dent in the number of juvenile cases that involve a gun, according to Chaves County's top prosecutor.

“It has not helped us. That's not solving it. The problem is juveniles have extremely easy access to firearms and they are using them,” said Dianna Luce, district attorney for the 5th Judicial District. On Thursday , Luce gave a presentation to legislators on the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee at Eastern New Mexico Roswell (ENMUR). Luce is tasked with overseeing the prosecution of criminal cases in Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties.

The law, known as the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act, was passed in 2023. It allows adults who store a gun

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