Gov. Susana Martinez has appointed Roswell lawyer James Hudson to a vacant district court judgeship in southeastern New Mexico.
Hudson will serve on the Fifth Judicial District court. He fills a vacancy created by the death earlier this year of Ralph Shamas, who had been a district court judge since 2005.
Hudson has been a partner in a private law practice since 1990. He received his law degree from the University of New Mexico and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Notre Dame University.
The governor said in a statement that Hudson was highly qualified for the judgeship.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.