Serving the High Plains

Mitchell, Schutte apply for Tenth District bench

QCS Managing Editor

The judge who failed to be retained in the Nov. 4 general election and the former judge he defeated in a 2008 election are the only candidates for the Tenth Judicial District's only judicial position.

The position became available when the current judge, Albert Mitchell, failed to receive enough votes to be retained in the general election.

Mitchell, however, has applied to keep his job in the face of a request to the state supreme court for a writ that would stop his candidacy.

The other candidate is former Tenth Judicial District Judge Don Schutte, who served as judge from September 2007 until January 2009, after Mitchell defeated him in a November 2008 election.

The Tenth District includes Quay, Harding and De Baca counties and is the only judicial district in New Mexico with a single judge.

Gov. Susana Martinez will appoint a judge for the district after the candidates after are evaluated in a series of hearings and deliberations before a state-appointed judicial nominating commission.

The commission's first meeting to evaluate the candidates will be held at 10 a.m. Dec. 11 at the Quay County Courthouse, 300 S 3rd St., Tucumcari.

Public comments will be taken at that meeting, as well, according to a news release from Raylene Weis, coordinator for the nominating commission. Weis advises those who wish to comment to arrive early.

The state supreme court will hear arguments Thursday in the request for a writ that would end Mitchell’s candidacy, according to a supreme court order.