There is hereby established a Municipal Court in the City. The
Municipal Court shall be presided over by a Municipal Judge.
The Municipal Court has jurisdiction over all offenses and complaints
under ordinances of the City and may issue subpoenas and warrants
and punish for contempt.
Upon proper designation, the Municipal Clerk may accept fines
and remittances through the Municipal Court on behalf of the City.
The elective officers of the City shall include a Municipal
Judge. The Municipal Judge shall be elected for a term of four years.
The City Council may fill any vacancy by appointment of the Municipal
Judge to serve until the next regular municipal election.
[Added 9-24-1985 by Ord. No. 394]
Beginning when the Municipal Judge takes office in the year
1986, the Municipal Judge shall be paid a salary equal to a full-time
state magistrate judge, as established from time to time by the State
Legislature.
The Municipal Judge shall undergo annual training, as required
by NMSA 1978 § 35-14-10, unless exempted by the Chief Justice
of the State Supreme Court, as a prerequisite to drawing his salary.
As provided in Article VI, § 18, of the State Constitution,
the Municipal Judge shall not, except by consent of all parties, sit
in any cause in which either of the parties are related to him by
affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin, or in
which he was counsel or in which he has an interest.
The Municipal Judge shall make monthly written reports to the
City Council of all money collected by him. The reports shall be filed
and the money collected paid to the City not later than the 10th day
of the month following collection.
All required reports shall include an itemized statement showing
the different amounts collected, the purpose of collection, the name
of the person paying and the date of payment.