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Acknowledgements
The New Mexico Municipal Benchbook was primarily authored by Judith Olean, formerly a Rio Rancho Municipal Court judge and currently Chair of the Judicial Studies Program at the Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute (TVI), and the staff at the New Mexico Judicial Education Center. The New Mexico Municipal Benchbook incorporates provisions of The Municipal Benchbook: A Guide for New Mexico Municipal Judges, published in 1994 by the New Mexico Municipal League and the New Mexico Municipal Judges Association; the New Mexico Magistrate and Metropolitan Court Benchbook, originally published by the New Mexico Compilation Commission and periodically updated by the Judicial Education Center; and the Judicial Handbook, published by the Judicial Education Center.
The Judicial Education Center gratefully acknowledges the generous assistance provided by the expert volunteers who helped in developing the New Mexico Municipal Benchbook. These volunteers contributed their expertise and time in providing background material and reviewing and editing drafts. They include:
- Hon. Vicki Hudson, Angel Fire Municipal Court
- Hon. Alan Kirk, Los Alamos Municipal Court
- Hon. Corrine Padilla, Grants Municipal Court
- Hon. Linda Padilla, Gallup Municipal Court
- Randall Van Vleck, General Counsel, New Mexico Municipal League
- Hon. Janell Whitlock, Carlsbad Municipal Court
Purpose
The New Mexico Municipal Benchbook is intended to serve as a practical guide for municipal judges in handling the typical cases that come before the court. It is a current and convenient secondary source of law, policy and practice for municipal court cases.
Do not rely on the benchbook as legal authority. Instead, consult the municipal ordinances, rules and forms, as well as case law, statutes and court policies and procedures for specific requirements.
Style and Format
The New Mexico Municipal Benchbook is written in a descriptive style. Abbreviations are kept to a minimum and should be readily recognizable when encountered. Citations to ordinances, statutes, rules and cases use the most concise style possible while still providing adequate reference information. In general, citations in the text use the following style:
- Statutes: New Mexico statutes are cited as §__-__-__, such as §66-8-113, without “NMSA 1978.” Federal laws are cited as __ U.S.C. §___, such as 25 U.S.C. §1901.
- Rules: New Mexico judicial rules are cited as Rule __-___, such as Rule 8-501, without the addition of “NMRA.”
- Cases: New Mexico cases are cited using the New Mexico Reports citation, such as 116 N.M. 456 (1993), and, if available, the vendor-neutral citation adopted in 1998, such as 1998-NMCA-039.
Effective Date
The information in this benchbook is current through the 2004 regular legislative session and includes relevant laws that are effective July 1, 2004. The benchbook will be updated periodically as funds and staffing allow. Please contact the Judicial Education Center at the address below for information about the status and availability of updates.
Additional Copies
For information on obtaining additional copies of this benchbook, please contact the Judicial Education Center. The online version of the benchbook is available free of charge right here on the Judicial Education Center web site.
Permission to Reproduce
For information on the permission and acknowledgements necessary for reproducing portions of this benchbook, please contact the Judicial Education Center.
Contacts
For further information on the benchbook, or to report errors or suggestions for future updates, please contact:
Paul Biderman, Director, 505-277-8789, biderman@unm.edu
Pam Lambert, Senior Attorney, 505-277-1052, plams@unm.edu
Beth Gillia, Attorney, 505-277-0710, bgillia@unm.edu
Judicial Education Center
Institute of Public Law
MSC11 6060
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001
Fax: 505-277-7064
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