44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO JUDICIAL DISTRICTS; CREATING THE FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT; MODIFYING THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT; PROVIDING FOR ASSIGNMENT OF JUDGES, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, PERSONNEL, APPROPRIATIONS, CONTRACTS AND OBLIGATIONS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. Section 34-6-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1941, Chapter 75, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

"34-6-1. JUDICIAL DISTRICTS.--The state shall be divided into judicial districts as follows:

A. first judicial district, the counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos;

B. second judicial district, the county of Bernalillo;

C. third judicial district, the county of Dona Ana;

D. fourth judicial district, the counties of Guadalupe, San Miguel and Mora;

E. fifth judicial district, the counties of Eddy, Chaves and Lea;

F. sixth judicial district, the counties of Grant, Luna and Hidalgo;

G. seventh judicial district, the counties of Socorro, Torrance, Sierra and Catron;

H. eighth judicial district, the counties of Taos, Colfax and Union;

I. ninth judicial district, the counties of Curry and Roosevelt;

J. tenth judicial district, the counties of Quay, DeBaca and Harding;

K. eleventh judicial district, the [counties of McKinley and San Juan] county of McKinley;

L. twelfth judicial district, the counties of Otero and Lincoln; [and]

M. thirteenth judicial district, the counties of Cibola, Sandoval and Valencia; and

N. fourteenth judicial district, the county of San Juan."

Section 2. Section 34-6-14 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, Chapter 69, Section 17, as amended by Laws 1995, Chapter 178, Section 3 and also by Laws 1995, Chapter 179, Section 1) is amended to read:

"34-6-14. JUDGES--ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.--There shall be [six] two district judges in the eleventh judicial district. [The judges of divisions one, three, four and six shall reside and maintain their principal offices in San Juan county. The judges of divisions two and five shall reside and maintain their principal offices in McKinley county.]"

Section 3. A new Section 34-6-16.1 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

"34-6-16.1. [NEW MATERIAL] JUDGES--FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.--There shall be four judges in the fourteenth judicial district."

Section 4. TEMPORARY PROVISION--ASSIGNMENT OF JUDGES, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, PERSONNEL, APPROPRIATIONS, CONTRACTS AND OBLIGATIONS.--On the effective date of the provisions of this act:

A. judges serving in eleventh judicial district divisions one, three, four and six, who reside in San Juan county, are transferred to the fourteenth judicial district, together with all budgets, personnel, money, funds, appropriations, accounts, furniture, equipment, office supplies and other things of value and all contracts, debts, liabilities or other obligations attributable to those divisions;

B. judges serving in eleventh judicial district divisions two and five, who reside in McKinley county, shall remain in the eleventh judicial district and shall retain all budgets, personnel, money, funds, appropriations, accounts, furniture, equipment, office supplies and other things of value and all contracts, debts, liabilities or other obligations attributable to those divisions;

C. the district attorney serving in eleventh judicial district division one, composed of San Juan county, is transferred to the fourteenth judicial district, together with all budgets, personnel, money, funds, appropriations, accounts, furniture, equipment, office supplies and other things of value and all contracts, debts, liabilities or other obligations attributable to that division; and

D. the district attorney serving in eleventh judicial district division two, composed of McKinley county, shall remain in the eleventh judicial district and shall retain all budgets, personnel, money, funds, appropriations, accounts, furniture, equipment, office supplies and other things of value and all contracts, debts, liabilities or other obligations attributable to that division.

Section 5. APPROPRIATION.--Ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2000 to the administrative office of the courts for expenditure in fiscal year 2003 to pay for salaries, benefits, office supplies, materials and other costs associated with the creation of a fourteenth judicial district. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003

Section 6. REPEAL.--Sections 36-1-8.2 and 36-1-8.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1981, Chapter 25, Sections 1 and 2, as amended) are repealed.

Section 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of Sections 1 through 4 and 6 of this act is January 1, 2003.