2020 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 34 - Court Structure and Administration
Article 8A - Metropolitan Courts
Section 34-8A-5 - Metropolitan court; jury trial.
A. With respect to civil actions, except for contempt of the metropolitan court, the right to trial by jury exists in all actions in the metropolitan court which are within metropolitan court jurisdiction. Either party to an action may demand trial by jury. The demand shall be made in the complaint if made by the plaintiff and in the answer if made by the defendant, and the metropolitan clerk shall collect from the demanding party the jury fee established by law for magistrate juries. If demand is not made pursuant to this subsection, or if the jury fee is not paid at the time demand is made, trial by jury is deemed waived.
B. With respect to criminal actions:
(1) if the penalty does not exceed ninety days' imprisonment or if the penalty is a fine or forfeiture of a license, the action shall be tried by the judge without a jury;
(2) if the penalty exceeds ninety days' but does not exceed six months' imprisonment, either party to the action may demand a trial by jury. The demand shall be made orally or in writing to the court at or before the time of entering a plea or in writing to the court within ten days after the time of entering a plea. If demand is not made pursuant to this subsection, trial by jury is deemed waived; or
(3) if the penalty exceeds six months' imprisonment, the case shall be tried by jury unless the defendant waives a jury trial with the approval of the court and the consent of the state.
C. Juries in the metropolitan court shall hear the evidence in the action which shall be delivered in public in its presence. After hearing the evidence and being duly charged by the judge, the members of the jury shall be kept together until:
(1) in civil actions, five members shall agree upon a verdict;
(2) in criminal actions, the members unanimously agree upon a verdict; or
(3) the members are discharged by the judge.
The judge shall give judgment upon any verdict.
D. A jury in the metropolitan court consists of six jurors with the same qualifications as jurors in the district court.
E. The presiding judge of the metropolitan court shall direct the clerk of the district court to draw and assign to that court the number of qualified jurors the judge deems necessary for one or more jury panels. Upon the receipt of the direction and in the manner prescribed for the selection of district court jurors, the clerk of the district court shall draw at random from the master jury wheel the number of qualified jurors specified. The names of jurors drawn for metropolitan jury service shall be forwarded to the metropolitan court clerk who shall maintain a record of the names and addresses of the prospective jurors.
F. Whenever a jury is required, the presiding judge of the metropolitan court shall order the sheriff or a responsible person to summon the persons named on the jury list to appear at the time and place set for trial of the action. If a jury is left incomplete because of failure of jurors to appear, excused absences or disqualification of jurors, a metropolitan judge shall direct the sheriff to summon others to complete the jury.
G. No person may be required to remain as a member of a metropolitan court jury panel for longer than six months following qualification as a juror in any year unless the panel is engaged in a trial.
History: Laws 1979, ch. 346, § 5; 1981, ch. 304, § 3.
ANNOTATIONSCross references. — For right to jury trial, see N.M. Const., art. II, § 12.
For jury and witness fee fund, see 34-9-11 NMSA 1978.
Constitutionality. — Because of the legislature's requirement that magistrate judges in metropolitan court be attorneys and magistrates elsewhere throughout the state do not have to meet that qualification, the disallowance of juries in metropolitan court for petty criminal offenses is not arbitrary, unreasonable nor unrelated to a legitimate legislative purpose. Meyer v. Jones, 1988-NMSC-011, 106 N.M. 708, 749 P.2d 93.
"The penalty" in Subsection B refers to potential aggregate penalty of all offenses being tried at a single time. Vallejos v. Barnhart, 1985-NMSC-026, 102 N.M. 438, 697 P.2d 121.
