A part-time federal magistrate judge is the only applicant for a vacant district court judgeship in southeastern New Mexico.
Kea Riggs has served as a magistrate in Roswell since 2001, handling criminal proceedings such as arraignments and issuing search and arrest warrants.
A bipartisan nominating commission will meet in Roswell on Aug. 7 to decide whether to recommend Riggs to Gov. Susana Martinez for possible appointment in the 5th Judicial District to replace District Judge Charles Currier, who retired.
Riggs has worked as a private practice lawyer, and was a prosecutor in the 5th District from 1994 to 1999. She also was a prosecutor in the 3rd Judicial District in Dona Ana County from 1991 to 1993, when Martinez was an assistant district attorney there.
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