0001|                            HOUSE BILL 90
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          R. DAVID PEDERSON
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|      FOR THE COURTS, CORRECTIONS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO COURTS; PROVIDING FOR A MEDIATION PROGRAM IN
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0012|     MAGISTRATE COURT; CREATING A MAGISTRATE MEDIATION FUND;
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0013|     INCREASING FILING FEES; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  Section 35-6-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968,
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0017|     Chapter 62, Section 92, as amended by Laws 1997, Chapter 242,
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0018|     Section 3 and also by Laws 1997, Chapter 247, Section 1) is
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0019|     amended to read:
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0020|          "35-6-1.  MAGISTRATE COSTS--SCHEDULE--DEFINITION OF
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0021|     "CONVICTED".--
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0022|               A.  Magistrate judges, including metropolitan court
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0023|     judges, shall collect the following costs:
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0024|                    <u>(1)</u>  docket fee, criminal actions under
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0025|     Section 29-5-1 NMSA 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . .  $ 1.00;
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0001|                    <u>(2)</u>  docket fee, to be collected prior to
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0002|     docketing any other criminal action, except as provided in
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0003|     Subsection B of Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978 . . . . . . 20.00;
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0004|                    <u>(3)</u>  docket fee, ten dollars ($10.00) of
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0005|     which shall be deposited in the court automation fund, to be 
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0006|     collected prior to docketing any civil action, except as
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0007|     provided in Subsection A of Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978 47.00;
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0008|                    <u>(4)</u>  jury fee, to be collected from the
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0009|     party demanding trial by jury in any civil action at the time
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0010|     the demand is filed or made. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.00;
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0011|                    <u>(5)</u>  copying fee, for making and certifying
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0012|     copies of any records in the court, for each page copied by 
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0013|     photographic process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50;
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0014|     <u>and</u>
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0015|                    <u>(6)</u>  copying fee, for computer-generated or
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0016|     electronically transferred copies, per page. . . . .  1.00.
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0017|     Proceeds from this copying fee shall be transferred to the
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0018|     administrative office of the courts for deposit in the court
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0019|     automation fund.  Except as otherwise specifically provided by
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0020|     law, docket fees shall be paid into the general fund.
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0021|               B.  Except as otherwise provided by law, no other
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0022|     costs or fees shall be charged or collected in the magistrate
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0023|     or metropolitan court.
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0024|               C.  The magistrate or metropolitan court may grant
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0025|     free process to any party in any civil proceeding or special
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0001|     statutory proceeding upon a proper showing of indigency.  The
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0002|     magistrate or metropolitan court may deny free process if it
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0003|     finds that the complaint on its face does not state a cause of
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0004|     action.
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0005|               D.  As used in this subsection, "convicted" means
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0006|     the defendant has been found guilty of a criminal charge by
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0007|     the magistrate or metropolitan judge, either after trial, a
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0008|     plea of guilty or a plea of nolo contendere.  Magistrate
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0009|     judges, including metropolitan court judges, shall collect the
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0010|     following costs:
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0011|                    (1)  corrections fee, to be collected upon
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0012|     conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision
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0013|     of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor
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0014|     vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a
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0015|     petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance that
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0016|     may be enforced by the imposition of a term of imprisonment 
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0017|      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10.00;
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0018|                    (2)  court automation fee, to be collected
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0019|     upon conviction from persons convicted of violating any
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0020|     provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of
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0021|     a motor vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a
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0022|     misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating
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0023|     any ordinance that may be enforced by the imposition of a term
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0024|     of imprisonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10.00;
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0025|                    (3)  traffic safety fee, to be collected upon
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0001|     conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision
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0002|     of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor
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0003|     vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3.00;
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0004|                    (4)  judicial education fee, to be collected
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0005|     upon conviction from persons convicted of operating a motor
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0006|     vehicle in violation of the Motor Vehicle Code, convicted of a
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0007|     crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or
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0008|     convicted of violating any ordinance punishable by a term of 
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0009|     imprisonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1.00;
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0010|     and 
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0011|                    (5)  brain injury services fee, to be
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0012|     collected upon conviction from persons convicted of violating
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0013|     any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code involving the
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0014|     operation of a motor vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . .  5.00.
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0015|               E.  Metropolitan court judges shall collect as
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0016|     costs a mediation fee not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) for
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0017|     the docketing of small claims and criminal actions specified
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0018|     by metropolitan court rule.  Proceeds of the mediation fee
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0019|     shall be deposited into the metropolitan court mediation fund.
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0020|               <u>F.  Magistrate judges shall collect as costs a
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<u></u>0021| <u>    mediation fee not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) for the
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<u></u>0022| <u>    docketing of civil actions, except as provided in Subsection A
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<u></u>0023| <u>    of Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978.  Proceeds of the mediation fee
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<u></u>0024| <u>    shall be deposited in the magistrate court mediation fund.</u>"
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0025|          Section 2.  [<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>] MAGISTRATE COURT MEDIATION
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0001|     FUND CREATED--ADMINISTRATION--DISTRIBUTION.--
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0002|               A.  The "magistrate court mediation fund" is
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0003|     created in the state treasury.  The fund shall be administered
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0004|     by the administrative office of the courts.
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0005|               B.  All balances in the magistrate court mediation
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0006|     fund are subject to appropriation for payment to magistrate
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0007|     courts for the purpose of funding and administering voluntary
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0008|     mediation programs.  The mediation programs shall be
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0009|     established by supreme court rule for the efficient
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0010|     disposition of civil complaints.
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0011|               C.  Payments from the magistrate court mediation
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0012|     fund shall be made upon vouchers signed by the director of the
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0013|     administrative office of the courts upon warrants drawn by the
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0014|     secretary of finance and administration.
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0015|               D.  Any balance remaining in the magistrate court
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0016|     mediation fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to
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0017|     the general fund.
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0018|          Section 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.-The effective date of the
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0019|     provisions of this act is July 1, 1998.
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0020|                                  
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