'Epitome of a public servant': Former Bernalillo County DA Jeff Romero dies

Former 2nd Judicial District Attorney Jeff Romero is remembered for "bringing hardened criminals to justice" and successfully advocating for the construction of the Bernalillo County DA's modern office building. 

Romero died Jan. 28 of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 80.

"He was the epitome of a public servant," said Pete Dinelli, Romero's longtime friend and former chief deputy district attorney. "He was very concerned about prosecutions and bringing hardened criminals to justice."

During his 50-plus-year career in law, Romero convinced county commissioners to fund the current Bernalillo County district attorney's building and alleviated caseloads for attorneys. He also prosecuted high-profile cases such as the Hollywood Video murders and cracked down on businesses considered to be public nuisances.

"He understood the law, the rule of law and making sure the law was enforced and protecting the citizens of Bernalillo County," said current 2nd Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman, who worked for Romero.

Romero was born on Dec. 5, 1945, in Albuquerque.

As a Highland High School student, Romero's friend Baker Morrow said, "Jeff was always fair-minded" and he thought Romero would grow up to be a "very good lawyer."

"He had a very keen intellect and was interested in fairness and seeing if he could help people with their problems," Morrow said.

After high school, Romero attended Michigan State University and the University of New Mexico School of Law. He would become a prosecutor, Bernalillo County assistant district attorney and statewide special prosecutor for the Attorney General's Office before being elected district attorney in 1996.

Bregman described his former boss as a "good leader."

"I think he was right for the times," he said. "I mean, we had to innovate a little bit in the office ... and he was very much on the forefront of a lot of things."

Among the things Romero did was successfully lobby to get a new district attorney's office building and implement a new system "to get a handle on the caseloads at the time," Dinelli said.

"Some of the cases the office handled were some of the most difficult the city has ever seen," he said.

One of those cases was the 1996 Hollywood Video murders in which five people — including three store employees — were shot and killed.

"(After Shane Harrison's trial was moved to Las Cruces,) we made sure that our prosecutors got all the necessary resources to have a successful prosecution," Dinelli said. 

During his tenure, Romero reinstated the repeat-offender division that he headed as assistant district attorney.

"We need to draw the line when we talk about repeat offenders," the then-DA-elect said in a Dec. 28, 1996, Albuquerque Tribune story. "When you talk to cops (on) the street, they keep saying, 'We see the same people over and over again.' We need to put a stop to that."

Romero's office also cracked down on businesses considered public nuisances like Five Points Hall, a once-popular South Valley dance hall that was notorious for its late-night parking lot drag races, public drunkenness and brawls, according to an April 16, 2000, article in the Journal.

No one has a "right to engage in a business that is a public nuisance that disturbs the peace, tranquility or economic health of a neighborhood," Romero said in a Sept. 11, 1997, Journal article.

During his career, Romero received multiple honors, including being named president of the New Mexico District Attorney's Association. 

After leaving the DA's office, Romero returned to private practice and continued working until 2024.

"He was a gentleman and he was truly an individual that cared about his community," Dinelli said.

Romero is survived by his wife, Evangelina Trujillo Romero; sons David Romero and Michael Romero; daughter Rebecca Jarvis; stepson Edmund Trujillo; and stepdaughters Donna Levi, Ursula Richards and Charlene Grasty.

Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.