SFReeper.com » New Mexico 1st Judicial District

Meet The New District Judge: Sarah M Singleton

Corey Pein — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:16:07 +0000

Sarah Singleton, who will replace First Judicial District Judge James Hall after his retirement at the end of this month, tells SFR she’s been “inundated with calls” since news of her appointment broke today.

“I want to thank the Governor for selecting me,” Singleton says. “I will say to the community that I will be fair, hardworking and do the best job that I can.”

Recently SFR summarized the résumés of the judicial candidates. Right-click the “PDF” link below to download Singleton’s full application.

Singleton isn’t sure when she starts, but will be meeting with Chief Judge Stephen Pfeffer tomorrow to sort out such details.

Sarah M Singleton (PDF)
Age: 60
Born: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Employer: Montgomery & Andrews PA in Santa Fe
Fact: “I am one of the hardest workers at my firm”
Experience: Current board member of the Legal Services Corporation, which funds legal aid programs throughout the US; former state bar president
Reference: Lawyer Maureen Sanders, who writes that “Sarah is one of the smartest lawyers I know”

Then There Were Six: Read The Next District Judge’s CV

Corey Pein — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:37:44 +0000

As the Journal reported the other day, the 1st Judicial District nominating commission narrowed down a 17-person field to six names, which have been sent to Gov. Bill Richardson. He’ll use those to pick Judge James Hall’s replacement. Hall retires at the end of the year.

Below, we’ve republished the summaries of those six candidates’ applications from SFR’s story this week on the selection process. Right-click the hyperlink after their names to download PDF copies of their applications. (Thanks to SFR superstar Charlotte Jusinski for spending a day with the scanner.)

T Glenn Ellington (PDF)
Age: 48
Born: Española
Employer: Ellington & Ellington LLC in Santa Fe
Fact: Hobbies include gardening, astronomy, basketball and weaving
Experience: Appointed Taxation & Revenue secretary by Gov. Gary Johnson, former chief public defender for New Mexico, former 1st District judge, former judicial nominating commissioner
Reference: 1st District Attorney Angela “Spence” Pacheco, who writes, “he has always conducted himself in an ethical and honest manner”

Mary Marlowe Sommer (PDF)
Age: 52
Born: Pasadena, Calif.
Employer: 1st District Court domestic relations hearing officer under Judge Raymond Ortiz
Fact: Worked as a production assistant for The McLaughlin Group on PBS
Experience: Assistant attorney general under AG Paul Bardacke (who chaired Gov. Richardson’s 2002 campaign)
Reference: Judge Ortiz, who has “never seen her loose [sic] patience,” and attorney John Pound

Francis J Mathew (PDF)
Age: 57
Born: Phoenix, Ariz.
Employer: Solo practice in Santa Fe
Fact: Rides motorcycles and practices aikido
Experience: Personal injury lawyer and accountant
Reference: General Services Department Secretary Arturo Jaramillo

David K Thomson (PDF 1, PDF 2, PDF 3)
Age: 41
Born: Santa Fe
Employer: New Mexico deputy attorney general
Fact: “Past volunteer for the 4th of July Pancake breakfast on the plaza”
Experience: Former legislative aide to US Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM
Reference: NM Chief Deputy Attorney General Albert Lama, who writes, “Both Attorney General [Gary] King and I believe that David possesses those qualities necessary to be District Court Judge”

Aaron J Wolf (PDF 1, PDF 2)
Age: 60
Born: Los Angeles, Calif.
Employer: Cuddy & McCarthy LLP
Fact: Music director at Temple Beth Shalom
Experience: Domestic relations law
Reference: 1st District Judge Barbara Vigil, who writes that one of Wolf’s “finest qualities is his ability to get right to the point”

Today’s The Day: Judicial Nominating Commission Meets Applicants

Corey Pein — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:31:48 +0000

Down at the 1st Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, the judicial nominating commission to replace retiring Judge James Hall has begun interviewing the 17 candidates for the job. One Republican commissioner, Frank Bond, is absent.

Only one person showed up early to offer public comment. Santa Fe attorney Sylvia LaMar came to support one candidate, Mary Marlowe Sommer, the court’s child support hearing officer, whom LaMar said has shown a critical ability to manage her courtroom—of particular concern in the domestic-type cases the new judge will be expected to handle.

LaMar says the domestic docket caseload is increasing, and with it the number of parties representing themselves (that is, going pro se). These people “have no idea what they’re doing. They file ridiculous motions that have to be heard,” LaMar says. “Unless we have someone who is able to manage the docket, we’re going to have a disaster.”

Read SFR’s summary of the candidates’ applications here. If you want to pop in for an interview, here’s the day’s schedule (click the picture for a larger image).