New Mexico's highest court has overturned convictions in two child pornography cases, saying it's unclear under state law if prosecutors can bring multiple charges against someone for possessing dozens of pornographic images of children.
In issuing a ruling on Monday, the state Supreme Court recommended the Legislature rewrite the law against possession of child pornography.
The court, in a 4-1 decision involving two cases from the Clovis area, said James Michael Olsson and William Ballard can each be charged with only one count of possession of child pornography.
Olsson had pleaded guilty to six counts after initially being charged in 2005 with 60 counts. Ballard was convicted of 25 counts of child pornography possession in 2009, but the Court of Appeals reduced the convictions to five counts.
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