Judges in Alamogordo, Deming among 4 nominees for New Mexico Supreme Court vacancy

SANTA FE, New Mexico — Three current judges and one retired judge have been nominated for appointment to fill a vacancy on the New Mexico Supreme Court.

A state nominating commission this week met remotely to evaluate seven candidates for the vacancy being created by the Dec. 1 retirement of Justice Judith K. Nakamura.

The four nominees include current state Court of Appeals Judges Julie J. Vargas and Briana Hope Zamora, state District Court Judge Jennifer Ellen DeLaney and retired District Court Judge James Waylon Counts.

DeLaney sits on the Sixth Judicial District Court in Deming. Counts recently retired from the 12th Judicial District Court in Alamogordo.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will pick one of the four to replace Nakamura.