New Magistrate Courthouse Inaugurated

On Friday three supreme court justices--Patricio Serna, Petra Maes, and Richard Bosson--and other dignitaries participated in inauguration ceremonies for the new Dona Ana County Magistrate Courthouse. The public was invited to tour the new building, which is state-of-the art technology and architecture, with room to grow. Supreme Court Justice Richard Bosson, who worked for several years trying to secure funding for the building, presented a summary of the lengthy bureaucratic, legislative, and political history of the origins and funding of building, including the delays in completion of the project. The building is located on Calle de Alegre, just East of South Main

The magnificence of the new building, which is a genuine source of pride for the community, is in stark contrast with the old magistrate facility, which was dilapidated, crowded, unsafe, and insecure, and which had a tendency to lose its air conditioning capacity during the summer time, resulting in what some people described as unpleasant odors.

Current Magistrate Judges include Oscar Frietze, Presiding Judge; Richard Silva, Olivia Nevarez Garcia, Kent Wingenroth, and Joseph Guillory. With the completion of the Las Cruces Magistrate Courthouse, there are now adequate facilities for magistrate court in Hatch, Las Cruces, and Anthony. Judge Frietze presides over the Hatch court when it is in session, and Judge Garcia splits her time between the Anthony Court and the Las Cruces Court.