Margot Ballon, whose 24-year career as a prosecutor was filled with passion and commitment, died on Feb. 13, 2011, after a long illness. She was 59.
Ballon joined the District Attorney’s Office in Bernalillo County in 1986, a few months after earning her J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. She started as a law clerk and, a month later, was promoted to an assistant district attorney. In 1992, she was named a deputy district attorney.
Ballon ended her career in the office’s Grand Jury Division, after also working in divisions that included Metropolitan Court, Economic Crimes, community Crimes and Special proceedings. She helped supervise the Metro Court division for years.
As a career prosecutor, she worked closely with the courts and police to improve many of the forms used by the courts. She also informally trained many police officers, letting them know what information was important to include in criminal prosecutions.
“Many of us were lucky to have been trained by her in our early careers,” said District Attorney Kari Brandenburg, who was a defense lawyer when she first met Ballon. “She was a mentor to a generation of lawyers. Her influence will have a lasting impact for years to come.”
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