HOUSE BILL 58

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

AN ACT

RELATING TO JUDICIAL RETIREMENT; PROVIDING THAT CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF THE CIVIL DOCKET AND JURY FEES BE DEPOSITED INTO THE GENERAL FUND; PROVIDING THAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO JUDICIAL AND MAGISTRATE RETIREMENT BE PROVIDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND; INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE JUDICIAL AND MAGISTRATE RETIREMENT FUNDS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 10-12B-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1992, Chapter 111, Section 1) is amended to read:

     "10-12B-1. SHORT TITLE.--[Sections 1 through 17 of this act] Chapter 10, Article 12B NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Judicial Retirement Act"."

     SECTION 2. Section 10-12B-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1992, Chapter 111, Section 11, as amended) is amended to read:

     "10-12B-11. EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS.--[A.] The member's court shall contribute [the following amounts to the fund:

                (1) prior to July 1, 2005, nine percent of salary for each member in office;

                (2) from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006, ten and one-half percent of salary for each member in office; and

                (3) on and after July 1, 2006, twelve percent of salary for each member in office, except that, from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011, for members whose annual salary is greater than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), the member's court contribution rate shall be ten and one-half] thirty and forty-nine hundredths percent of salary for each member in office.

          [B. Thirty-eight dollars ($38.00) from each civil case docket fee paid in the district court, twenty-five dollars ($25.00) from each civil docket fee paid in metropolitan court and ten dollars ($10.00) from each jury fee paid in metropolitan court shall be paid by the court clerk to the employer's accumulation fund.]"

     SECTION 3. Section 10-12C-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1992, Chapter 118, Section 11, as amended) is amended to read:

     "10-12C-11. EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS.--[A.] The state, through the administrative office of the courts, shall contribute [the following amounts to the fund:

                (1) through June 30, 2006, ten percent of salary for each member in office; and

                (2) on and after July 1, 2006, eleven percent of salary for each member in office, except that, from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011, for members whose annual salary is greater than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), the state contribution rate shall be nine and one-half] twenty-five and ninety-six hundredths percent of salary for each member in office.

          [B. Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) from each civil case docket fee paid in magistrate court and ten dollars ($10.00) from each civil jury fee paid in magistrate court shall be paid by the court clerk to the employer's accumulation fund.]"

     SECTION 4. Section 35-6-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, Chapter 62, Section 92, as amended) is amended to read:

     "35-6-1. MAGISTRATE COSTS--SCHEDULE--DEFINITION OF

"CONVICTED".--

          A. Magistrate judges, including metropolitan court judges, shall assess and collect and shall not waive, defer or suspend the following costs:

     docket fee, criminal actions under Section 29-5-1 NMSA           1978. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1.00;

     docket fee, to be collected prior to docketing any other

          criminal action, except as provided in Subsection B

          of Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978. . . . . . . . . 20.00.

Proceeds from this docket fee shall be transferred to the administrative office of the courts for deposit in the court facilities fund;

docket fee, twenty dollars ($20.00) of which shall be deposited in the court automation fund [and], fifteen dollars ($15.00) of which shall be deposited in the civil legal services fund and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) of which shall be deposited in the general fund, to be collected prior to docketing any civil action, except as provided in Subsection A of Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978. . . . . . . . . . .72.00;

jury fee, ten dollars ($10.00) of which shall be deposited in the general fund, to be collected from the party demanding trial by jury in any civil action at the time the demand is filed or made. . . . . . .25.00;

copying fee, for making and certifying copies of any records in the court, for each page copied by photographic process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.

Proceeds from this copying fee shall be transferred to the administrative office of the courts for deposit in the court facilities fund; and

     copying fee, for computer-generated or electronically

transferred copies, per page. . . . . . . . . .1.00.

Proceeds from this copying fee shall be transferred

to the administrative office of the courts for

deposit in the court automation fund.

    Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, docket fees shall be paid into the court facilities fund.

         B. Except as otherwise provided by law, no other costs or fees shall be charged or collected in the magistrate or metropolitan court.

         C. The magistrate or metropolitan court may grant free process to any party in any civil proceeding or special statutory proceeding upon a proper showing of indigency. The magistrate or metropolitan court may deny free process if it finds that the complaint on its face does not state a cause of action.

         D. As used in this subsection, "convicted" means the defendant has been found guilty of a criminal charge by the magistrate or metropolitan judge, either after trial, a plea of guilty or a plea of nolo contendere. Magistrate judges, including metropolitan court judges, shall assess and collect and shall not waive, defer or suspend the following costs:

             (1) corrections fee, to be collected upon conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance that may be enforced by the imposition of a term of imprisonment as follows:

in a county with a metropolitan court. . . . . . . .$10.00;

     in a county without a metropolitan court. . . . . . 20.00;

             (2) court automation fee, to be collected upon conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance that may be enforced by the imposition of a term of imprisonment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.00;

             (3) traffic safety fee, to be collected upon

conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.00;

             (4) judicial education fee, to be collected upon conviction from persons convicted of operating a motor vehicle in violation of the Motor Vehicle Code, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance punishable by a term of imprisonment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.00;

             (5) jury and witness fee, to be collected upon conviction from persons convicted of operating a motor vehicle in violation of the Motor Vehicle Code, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance punishable by a term of imprisonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.00;

             (6) brain injury services fee, to be collected upon conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.00;

and

             (7) court facilities fee, to be collected upon conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance that may be enforced by the imposition of a term of imprisonment as follows:

    in a county with a metropolitan court. . . . . . . .24.00;

in any other county. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.00.

         E. Metropolitan court judges shall assess and collect and shall not waive, defer or suspend as costs a mediation fee not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) for the docketing of small claims and criminal actions specified by metropolitan court rule. Proceeds of the mediation fee shall be deposited into the metropolitan court mediation fund."

    SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION.--Three million fifty-one thousand dollars ($3,051,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the department of finance and administration for expenditure in fiscal year 2012 for distribution to the supreme court, court of appeals, district courts, Bernalillo county metropolitan court and the administrative office of the courts to pay the increased employer contributions. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2012 shall not revert to the general fund.

    SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2011.

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