Mesilla considers change to its court

The Town of Mesilla is considering moving its municipal court cases to the county.

The mayor and Board of Trustee’s voted to postpone a resolution last week that would have accepted recommendations from a subcommittee to partially close the town’s municipal court.

In 2023, the state changed the rules surrounding municipal courts — like the one that is run by Mesilla. The state decided that if the municipal court is in a town with fewer than 10,000 people and is located within 25 miles of the nearest magistrate court, the town can decide to have its cases heard by the closest magistrate court.

Mesilla has been looking to do that since May.

This decision is being discussed as a possible cost-saving measure for the town. According to the mayor of Mesilla Russel Hernandez during the las public meeting, the Town of Mesilla would save a minimum of $87,000 in its budget.

“As the CEO of the town, I have to look at every potential way that we could potentially save money,” Hernandez told the Bulletin.

Hernandez said that no decision has been made yet and that according to a recommendation from a committee looking into this possibility, cases revolving around codes would stay within the town. Because of the historic nature of the Town of Mesilla, its code cases are specific to Mesilla.

“Cases that are more civil or codes cases that are more the misdemeanors and things to that extent can still be heard in the town,” Hernandez explained. “We could just change the way that those are heard and having them heard by a hearing officer as they are doing in Edgewood presently.”

However, not everyone in town is on board with the idea. Mesilla resident Chris Alexander said that this was getting rid of part of the Town of Mesilla’s autonomy.

“This is chipping away at the very foundation we exist on,” Alexander said.

Alexander said that his family has lived in Mesilla for “ten generations.” He said that the town has “fought hard to get everything we got” and this would be a step back.

“I think that for the well-being of the community we need to maintain the structure of government that has been in place since we incorporated,” Alexander said.

When asked about the importance of code enforcement staying local, Alexander said that historical preservation is “what makes Mesilla, Mesilla.”

Hernandez said that the Town of Mesilla is “a proud community” and that he doesn’t want to “dismantle anything that has that history.”

“We have worked hard on our ordinances to maintain the integrity of our historical character and nature within the town,” Hernandez said. “That would be important to have that.”

If accepted at the next meeting, the plan to move many of the criminal court cases to the magistrate court will go in front of the New Mexico Supreme Court and the Doña Ana Magistrate Court.