0001| HOUSE BILL 766 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| GARY K. KING | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO COURTS; INCREASING CERTAIN COURT FEES; CREATING A | 0012| FUND; DEDICATING PROCEEDS IN THE FUND FOR THE PROVISION OF | 0013| CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO INDIGENT PERSONS; MAKING AN | 0014| APPROPRIATION. | 0015| | 0016| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0017| Section 1. Section 34-6-40 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, | 0018| Chapter 69, Section 42, as amended) is amended to read: | 0019| "34-6-40. FINANCE--FEES.-- | 0020| A. District court clerks shall collect in civil | 0021| matters docketing any cause, whether original or reopened or by | 0022| appeal or transfer from any inferior court, a fee of [eighty- | 0023| two dollars ($82.00)] one hundred seven dollars ($107), ten | 0024| dollars ($10.00) of which shall be deposited in the court | 0025| automation fund and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) of which | 0001| shall be deposited in the civil legal services fund. | 0002| B. No fees or costs shall be taxed against the | 0003| state, its political subdivisions or the nonprofit corporations | 0004| authorized to be formed under the Educational Assistance Act. | 0005| C. Except as otherwise specifically provided by | 0006| law, docket fees shall be paid into the general fund." | 0007| Section 2. Section 35-6-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, | 0008| Chapter 62, Section 92, as amended) is amended to read: | 0009| "35-6-1. MAGISTRATE COSTS--SCHEDULE--DEFINITION OF | 0010| "CONVICTED".-- | 0011| A. Magistrate judges, including metropolitan court | 0012| judges, shall collect the following costs: | 0013| Docket fee, criminal actions under Section 29-5-1 NMSA | 0014| 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1.00 | 0015| Docket fee, to be collected prior to docketing any other | 0016| criminal action, except as provided in Subsection B of | 0017| Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00 | 0018| Docket fee, ten dollars ($10.00) of which shall be | 0019| deposited in the court automation fund and fifteen | 0020| dollars ($15.00) of which shall be deposited in the | 0021| civil legal services fund, to be collected prior to | 0022| docketing any civil action, except as provided in | 0023| Subsection A of Section 35-6-3 NMSA 1978 [47.00] 62.00 | 0024| Jury fee, to be collected from the party demanding trial | 0025| by jury in any civil action at the time the demand is | 0001| filed or made. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.00 | 0002| Copying fee, for making and certifying copies of any | 0003| records in the court, for each page copied by | 0004| photographic process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 | 0005| Copying fee, for computer-generated or electronically | 0006| transferred copies, per page . . . . . . . . . . 1.00. | 0007| Proceeds from this copying fee shall be transferred | 0008| to the administrative office of the courts for | 0009| deposit in the court automation fund. Except as | 0010| otherwise specifically provided by law, docket fees | 0011| shall be paid into the general fund. | 0012| B. Except as otherwise provided by law, no other | 0013| costs or fees shall be charged or collected in the magistrate | 0014| or metropolitan court. | 0015| C. The magistrate or metropolitan court may grant | 0016| free process to any party in any civil proceeding or special | 0017| statutory proceeding upon a proper showing of indigency. The | 0018| magistrate or metropolitan court may deny free process if it | 0019| finds that the complaint on its face does not state a cause of | 0020| action. | 0021| D. As used in this subsection, "convicted" means | 0022| the defendant has been found guilty of a criminal charge by the | 0023| magistrate or metropolitan judge, either after trial, a plea of | 0024| guilty or a plea of nolo contendere. Magistrate judges, | 0025| including metropolitan court judges, shall collect the | 0001| following costs: | 0002| (1) corrections fee, to be collected upon | 0003| conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of | 0004| the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor | 0005| vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a | 0006| petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance that | 0007| may be enforced by the imposition of a term of imprisonment | 0008| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.00; | 0009| (2) court automation fee, to be collected upon | 0010| conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of | 0011| the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor | 0012| vehicle, convicted of a crime constituting a misdemeanor or a | 0013| petty misdemeanor or convicted of violating any ordinance that | 0014| may be enforced by the imposition of a term of | 0015| imprisonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00; | 0016| (3) traffic safety fee, to be collected upon | 0017| conviction from persons convicted of violating any provision of | 0018| the Motor Vehicle Code involving the operation of a motor | 0019| vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.00; | 0020| and | 0021| (4) judicial education fee, to be collected | 0022| upon conviction from persons convicted of operating a motor | 0023| vehicle in violation of the Motor Vehicle Code, convicted of a | 0024| crime constituting a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor or | 0025| convicted of violating any ordinance punishable by a term of | 0001| imprisonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00. | 0002| E. Metropolitan court judges shall collect as costs | 0003| a mediation fee not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) for the | 0004| docketing of small claims and criminal actions specified by | 0005| metropolitan court rule. Proceeds of the mediation fee shall | 0006| be deposited into the metropolitan court mediation fund." | 0007| Section 3. [NEW MATERIAL] CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES FUND | 0008| CREATED--ADMINISTRATION--DISTRIBUTION.-- | 0009| A. There is created in the state treasury the | 0010| "civil legal services fund" to be administered by the | 0011| administrative office of the courts. | 0012| B. Balances in the civil legal services fund may be | 0013| expended by the administrative office of the courts for the | 0014| purpose of entering into contracts with nonprofit organizations | 0015| that: | 0016| (1) offer a range of free or reduced-fee civil | 0017| legal services to indigent persons in New Mexico; and | 0018| (2) demonstrate the capacity to cooperate with | 0019| state and local bar associations, pro bono programs and private | 0020| attorneys to increase the availability of free or reduced-fee | 0021| civil legal services to indigent persons. | 0022| C. A contract entered into for the purpose of | 0023| providing civil legal services to indigent persons shall be in | 0024| accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Code. | 0025| D. Balances in the civil legal services fund shall | 0001| not revert to the general fund at the end of any fiscal year. | 0002| E. Payments from the civil legal services fund | 0003| shall be made upon vouchers issued and signed by the director | 0004| of the administrative office of the courts upon warrants drawn | 0005| by the secretary of finance and administration. | 0006| Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the | 0007| provisions of this act is July 1, 1997. | 0008| - 6 - State of New Mexico | 0009| House of Representatives | 0010| | 0011| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0012| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| February 24, 1997 | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| Mr. Speaker: | 0019| | 0020| Your JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0021| | 0022| HOUSE BILL 766 | 0023| | 0024| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0025| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0001| | 0002| 1. On page 5, lines 9 and 10, strike "administrative office | 0003| of the courts" and insert in lieu thereof "local government | 0004| division of the department of finance and administration". | 0005| | 0006| 2. On page 5, line 11, after "fund" insert ", less | 0007| administrative costs as provided for in Subsection D of this | 0008| section,". | 0009| | 0010| 3. On page 5, line 12, strike "administrative office of the | 0011| courts" and insert in lieu thereof "local government division of | 0012| the department of finance and administration". | 0013| | 0014| 4. On page 5, between lines 23 and 24, insert the following | 0015| new subsection: | 0016| | 0017| "D. The local government division of the department | 0018| of finance and administration may expend no more than five | 0019| percent of the annual fund balance for administrative purposes.". | 0020| | 0021| 5. Reletter the following subsections accordingly. | 0022| | 0023| 6. On page 6, line 3, strike "administrative office of the | 0024| courts" and insert in lieu thereof "local government division of | 0025| the | 0001| department of finance and administration"., | 0002| | 0003| and thence referred to the APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE | 0004| COMMITTEE. | 0005| | 0006| Respectfully submitted, | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| | 0012| Thomas P. Foy, Chairman | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| Adopted Not Adopted | 0016| | 0017| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0018| | 0019| Date | 0020| | 0021| The roll call vote was 11 For 0 Against | 0022| Yes: 11 | 0023| Excused: Pederson, Rios | 0024| Absent: None | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| .117611.1 | 0003| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0766 State of New Mexico | 0004| House of Representatives | 0005| | 0006| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0007| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| March 5, 1997 | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| Mr. Speaker: | 0014| | 0015| Your APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, to | 0016| whom has been referred | 0017| | 0018| HOUSE BILL 766, as amended | 0019| | 0020| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0021| recommendation that it DO PASS. | 0022| | 0023| Respectfully submitted, | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| Max Coll, Chairman | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| Adopted Not Adopted | 0008| | 0009| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0010| | 0011| Date | 0012| | 0013| The roll call vote was 7 For 5 Against | 0014| Yes: 7 | 0015| No: Buffett, Knowles, Pearce, Townsend, Wallace | 0016| Excused: Bird, Marquardt, Picraux, Salazar, Watchman | 0017| Absent: None | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0766 |