The governor on Wednesday signed into law a bill creating five new state District Court judgeships in the four judicial districts found to have the highest need.
The act brings one new judge each to the 1st Judicial District, comprised of Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties; the 3rd Judicial District in Doña Ana County; and the 12th Judicial District, made up of Lincoln and Otero counties. The 2nd Judicial District, in Bernalillo County, will get two new judges.
Judicial nominating commissions will be tasked with evaluating applicants and providing recommendations to the governor for appointment.
A fiscal analysis of Senate Bill 185 reported that a recent court workload study found that the state needs 25 additional judges statewide. The four districts included in the bill were found to have the greatest need.
