Section 34-9-11 - Jury and witness fee fund created; administration; distribution.
34-9-11. Jury and witness fee fund created; administration; distribution.
A. There is created in the state treasury the "jury and witness fee fund" to be administered by the administrative office of the courts.
B. All balances in the jury and witness fee fund may be expended only upon appropriation by the legislature to the administrative office of the courts for the purpose of paying the costs of:
(1) jurors and prospective jurors;
(2) witnesses of fact or character subpoenaed by the court, the prosecution or the defense;
(3) expert witnesses for grand juries and magistrate courts;
(4) court interpreters; and
(5) defending persons whom the court has ordered the public defender to represent, when those persons do not meet the public defender's indigency standards.
C. All jury fees that the courts collect from parties requesting civil juries, except for jury demand fees as set forth in Section 35-6-1 NMSA 1978, and interest earned on money in the jury and witness fee fund shall be credited to the fund. Payments shall be made upon certification by judicial agencies of eligible amounts. No part of the fund shall revert at the end of any fiscal year.
D. Payments from the jury and witness fee fund shall be made upon vouchers issued and signed by the director of the administrative office of the courts or his designee upon warrants drawn by the secretary of finance and administration.