Fierro exits prison denying death guilt

LAS CRUCES (KRQE) - Former Santa Fe attorney Carlos Fierro walked out of prison near Las Cruces Wednesday four years after being sent away for killing a pedestrian and leaving the scene after a night of drinking.

When Fierro talked to reporters he said he learned a lot in his time behind bars including that he has some issues like drinking to address.

"There's a problem there," Fierro said. "I made a mistake. We're all fallible."

Fierro went on to talk about his efforts to appeal his conviction. The former attorney has filed a habeas corpus petition asking for a new trial.

Fierro was sentenced to seven years in prison for the drunken-driving crash that killed pedestrian William Tenorio in front of a Santa Fe blues club in Nov. 2008.

He served approximately four years after sentence reductions for good time.

Fierro did offer some words for the Tenorio family.

"I feel for their loss. I'm sorry for the loss," he said. "It was awful. That's not something I'm just going to forget because I'm challenging the way the court case went."

Fierro said he now plans to move to California and hopes a new trial will result in him getting his law license back.

The Tenorio family has not responded to a call from KRQE News 13 asking for comment.

During the trial Fierro's defense portray Tenorio as being at fault because he, too, was intoxicated.

Fierro's passenger and drinking partner that night, Alfred Lovato, also was charged with vehicular homicide but later acquitted.  Lovato was a New Mexico State Police sergeant and member of Gov. Bill Richardson's security detail at the time.