Section 35-1-16 - Magistrate court; Lea district.
35-1-16. Magistrate court; Lea district.
A. Through December 31, 2010, there shall be five magistrates in Lea magistrate district, division 1 in Lovington, divisions 2 and 5 operating as a single court in Hobbs, division 3 in Eunice and division 4. The division 3 magistrate shall ride circuit to Jal on a regularly scheduled basis and shall ride circuit to Hobbs as needed. The division 4 magistrate shall ride circuit to Lovington, Hobbs and Eunice.
B. On January 1, 2011, there shall be four magistrates in the Lea magistrate district, divisions 1 and 2 operating as a single court in Hobbs, division 3 in Eunice and division 4 in Lovington. The division 3 magistrate shall ride circuit to Jal on a regularly scheduled basis and shall ride circuit to Hobbs as needed.
C. Magistrate judges shall not be elected at large from the district but shall be elected by the voters of the division for which the magistrate sits. Magistrate judges shall reside in their divisions but shall have district-wide jurisdiction. For the 2010 and subsequent elections, the composition of the divisions for elections and residence purposes is as follows:
(1) division 1 is composed of Lea county precincts 23 through 30, 32 and 41 through 43;
(2) division 2 is composed of Lea county precincts 33 through 35, 44, 51 through 55 and 61;
(3) division 3 is composed of Lea county precincts 20, 22, 31, 36, 62 and 71 through 74; and
(4) division 4 is composed of Lea county precincts 2, 3, 10 through 18 and 21.