By Vanessa Dabovich
Las Cruces, NM – Starting January 3rd the court will be open to the public a total of forty-five hours a week. Also, evening court sessions will begin being scheduled for hearings. In addition to extending daily hours the court will also be open during the noon hour.
The changes come after several complaints from residents about lengthy wait times and long lines with the first come first serve system at the municipal court.
According to the city website, a walk-in court appearance can take anywhere from one and a half to three hours.
The new court hours will be from seven-thirty in the morning until five-thirty in the afternoon Monday through Thursday and seven-thirty to twelve-thirty on Friday. If the scheduled evening court sessions are successful they may be opened up to include walk-ins.
Municipal Court Judge Melissa Miller-Byrnes says many people have to take time from work and other things to do business at the court and she wants to make it as convenient as possible.
For more information on the service hours of the court call 541-2224 or visit las-cruces.org/municourt