The Murder of
María Teresa Macias

Judge Steps Down in Macias Case!

On March 5th, federal District Judge Lowell Jensen recused himself from Macias v. Ihde, the civil rights lawsuit filed by the Macias family against the county of Sonoma and then-sheriff Mark Ihde. María Teresa Macias was murdered by her ex-husband Avelino in 1996, after sheriff's deputies repeatedly ignored her reports of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and more than 22 violations of a domestic violence restraining order.

Jensen, a Reagan appointee and former Alameda County district attorney, stepped aside at the request of Macias attorney Rick Seltzer, who charged Jensen had displayed bias against the family's claims. Jensen is replaced by Judge Susan Illston. Illston was appointed to the bench in 1994 by President Clinton after a long career as a plaintiff's attorney. In 1998, she approved a class action settlement awarding $104.5 million to women alleging workplace sex discrimination at Home Depot.