NMSA 1-26-5. Judicial retention; district court judges

1-26-5. Judicial retention; district court judges. A. Each eligible district court judge shall be subject to retention or rejection at the general election in the last year of the six-year term of office for the position in which the judge is serving. B. Terms of office for positions on the district court in each judicial district shall be staggered, as follows: (1) the term of office for division 1 and for every third division number thereafter shall expire in 2026 and every six years thereafter; (2) the term of office for division 2 and for every third division number thereafter shall expire in 2028 and every six years thereafter; and (3) the term of office for division 3 and for every third division number thereafter shall expire in 2024 and every six years thereafter. C. The administrative office of the courts shall maintain current on its website a list of the names of the currently serving judges of each judicial district and the year in which the term of office for each position expires. D. The initial term of office for a newly created district court judgeship shall be staggered in accordance with the provisions of Subsection B of this section, even if the result is a shortened first term for the office. E. As used in this section, "division" means the divisions established pursuant to Section 34- 6-18 NMSA 1978. History: Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 176; 2021, ch. 74, § 1.