Meet Lisa Torraco: Seasoned Attorney. Legal Advocate. In-Demand Consultant.
Lisa Torraco, founder of Lisa Torraco Law, has been a practicing lawyer for more than 30 years. An experienced litigator, she represents clients in both federal and state courts. She is also in high demand as a consultant on criminal defense, gun rights, New Mexico law and more.
Ms. Torraco’s practice includes criminal defense investigations, pre-indictment preventative work and criminal litigation in courts throughout the Southwest. Her litigation and consulting practice includes cases involving murder, kidnapping, racketeering, drug trafficking and other criminal allegations.
Additionally, Ms. Torraco provides consulting services related to criminal prosecutions and civil actions involving child abuse, termination of parental rights by the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD), domestic violence and other types of civil restraining orders, as well as educational discipline matters and disputes over taxation and motor vehicle revenue.
For a summary of Ms. Torraco’s qualifications, follow this link:
A Former Prosecutor With Experience On Both Sides Of The Courtroom
While in law school, Ms. Torraco initiated, drafted and lobbied for changes in New Mexico rape laws. Specifically, she lobbied to make rape of one’s spouse a crime. That was in 1991, when it was still legal in New Mexico to rape one’s spouse. This was Ms. Torraco’s true immersion to criminal law in a very practical form. The New Mexico Legislature passed the bill Ms. Torraco drafted and lobbied, and now it is illegal to rape one’s spouse in New Mexico, just like it is illegal to rape any person regardless of the relationship status. For her work, Gov. Bruce King commended her with an Award for Outstanding Women. This experience was one of the first experiences she had as a young woman that motivated her for justice and developed a passion for criminal law. District Attorney Robert Schwartz then invited Ms. Torraco to join the Second Judicial District Attorney’s office to prosecute domestic violence crimes.
Ms. Torraco served for 17 years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Office of the District Attorney in the First and Second Judicial District Attorneys’ offices, prosecuting all the crimes she now defends. In Bernalillo County, she prosecuted DWI and domestic violence cases. Shortly thereafter she moved to Santa Fe, (then Lisa Waggoner) and in the capacity of a prosecutor, Ms. Torraco worked many complex drug and trafficking cases seeking grand jury indictments and preliminary hearing bind-overs on the worst drug offenders.
After years of prosecuting drug and trafficking cases, Ms. Torraco was promoted to the Senior Trial Attorney for the Child Abuse and Child Sex Crimes Division. Here she not only prosecuted cases, but she also trained law enforcement officers on the nuances of the child sex abuse cases and other domestic violence cases. She worked closely with the officers, assisting with the drafting of search warrants, arrest warrants and directing the gathering of evidence. She worked with the Santa Fe Rape Crisis and Santa Fe forensic team in establishing protocols for the interviewing of children. As such, she knows how to mount an incredible defense against the prosecutors, turning the tables of justice against them.
As a prosecutor, Ms. Torraco was respected and often feared. As a young prosecutor, Ms Torraco’s work was acclaimed by the New Mexico Bar Association when they awarded Ms. Torraco 1993 “Prosecutor of the Year.” This was a result of years of work and several notable convictions.
Impacting Criminal Law As A State Senator
Not only had she gained respect in the courtroom as a prosecutor, but in 2013 Ms. Torraco became State Sen. Torraco, when she won her election to represent Albuquerque N.E. heights in the New Mexico State Senate. As a New Mexico State Senator, she wrote the exact same laws that she now uses as a criminal defense attorney.
Ms. Torraco served in the New Mexico State Senate from 2013 to 2017 and was instrumental in bipartisan bills related to criminal justice reform. She shed a much-needed glimmer of light on her colleagues’ attitudes about “tough on crime” and became a force for the “Right on Crime” movement in New Mexico.
Ms. Torraco, while a State Senator, insisted on data-driven, proven solutions for reducing crime. She worked for the reforming of offenders, more drug and alcohol treatment centers and lowering taxpayer costs as a motivation for new criminal legislation, rather than focusing on emotionally driven, knee jerk reactions to passing legislation.
For Trustworthy Criminal Defense Representation, Contact Lisa Torraco Law
Now Ms. Torraco uses her years and wealth of knowledge as a prosecutor and a former State Senator to work for individuals facing criminal charges and criminal prosecution. She knows how to do more than just fight for the legal rights of her clients. She is an advocate for her clients inside and out of the courtroom.
If you are facing criminal charges in New Mexico, call attorney Lisa Torraco at 505-308-6800 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation.
