The director of the administrative office of the courts shall, under the supervision and direction of the supreme court:

A. supervise all matters relating to administration of the courts;

B. examine fiscal matters and the state of the dockets of the courts, secure information as to the courts' need of assistance and prepare and transmit to the supreme court statistical data and reports as to the business of the courts;

C. submit to the supreme court and to the legislature by January 30 of each year a report of the activities of the administrative office of the courts and of the state of business of the courts, including the statistical data submitted to the supreme court pursuant to Subsection B of this section, and the director's recommendations. This report is a public document;

D. deal with the problems of finance of those courts supported by legislative appropriation and be concerned with adequate but economical financing of each of these courts and the equitable distribution of available funds among them. For this purpose, the director shall receive, adjust and approve proposed budgets submitted by these courts prior to submission of the budgets to the state budget division of the department of finance and administration for inclusion in the executive budget. The district courts of all counties within a judicial district shall be included within a single budget. Budget proposals shall be submitted by the courts at the time and in the form prescribed by the director;

E. perform other duties in aid of the administration of justice and the administration and dispatch of the business of the courts as directed by the supreme court. The courts shall comply with all requests of the director for information;

F. encourage that any behavioral health services, including mental health and substance abuse services, funded, provided, contracted for or approved by the administrative office of the courts be in compliance with the requirements of Section 9-7-6.4 NMSA 1978; and

G. apply for and receive, in the name of the administrative office of the courts, any public or private funds, including United States government funds, available to carry out its programs, duties or services.

History: 1953 Comp., § 16-6-3, enacted by Laws 1959, ch. 162, § 3; 1963, ch. 66, § 2; 1968, ch. 69, § 46; 2004, ch. 46, § 12; 2019, ch. 38, § 1.

Cross references. — For approving bonds for district court personnel, see 34-6-22 NMSA 1978.

For law governing surety bonds of state employees, see 10-2-15 NMSA 1978.

For finances of district courts generally, see 34-6-34 NMSA 1978.

For administering and distributing money from the local government corrections fund, see 33-3-25 NMSA 1978.

The 2019 amendment, effective June 14, 2019, allowed the director of the administrative office of the courts to apply for and receive any public or private funds to carry out the duties of the office; and added Subsection G.

The 2004 amendment, effective May 19, 2004, deleted in Subsection D "for the fifty-eighth and subsequent fiscal years" and added Subsection F.

Supreme court control over courts. — The supreme court has ultimate authority over administrative matters of the courts. Russillo v. Scarborough, 935 F.2d 1167 (10th Cir. 1991).