Dec. 21—A woman accused of faking her own kidnapping, prompting a police pursuit that led to two deaths, can have a new lawyer, but the delay will count against her right to a speedy trial, a judge ruled Thursday.

Jeannie Jaramillo is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and six other counts in a high-profile incident in 2022 in which a crash on Interstate 25 claimed the lives of a Santa Fe police officer and a retired Las Vegas, N.M., firefighter.

Jaramillo had been represented by attorney Richard Pugh, who was contracted through the Public Defender’s Office.

It wasn’t clear during a motions hearing Thursday before District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer why she was requesting a new attorney.

Somer said she was not inclined to seal the hearing, which she had been asked to do, apparently out of concern Jaramillo might say something to violate her attorney-client privilege.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Padgett Macias, who is prosecuting the case, said “from the state’s perspective,” Pugh’s representation of Jaramillo “has not been inadequate.”

“I’m going to allow the public defender to allow Mr. Pugh to withdraw and allow another counsel, contract or otherwise, from the Public Defender’s Office,” Sommer said.

She told Jaramillo, who appeared via video from the Santa Fe County jail, “You don’t get your selection of attorneys. So we’re not going to keep going through this, and this is held against you.”