Magistrate Judge Pat Casados/Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

BY PAT CASADOS
Los Alamos Magistrate Judge

The Judiciary is a vital branch of our government. We are proud to have stayed open and working for the citizens of New Mexico in this tiring time. 

For the past 19 years it has been my honor and privilege to serve as the Magistrate Judge for the County of Los Alamos. Upon careful consideration and thought, I have decided not to run for another term in 2022. I want to thank the citizens and voters of Los Alamos for their support.

It only seems like yesterday I swore to uphold the Constitution and Laws of the State of New Mexico.  This job has been a challenge; filled with joy to frustration, long hours, and never boring. Each day is different. I have had a wonderful group of Magistrate Judges to work with over the years. I have had the opportunity to work in courts in all four corners of the state.

Many things have changed in the last 19 years.  I am privileged to be the first Magistrate Judge in our new judicial center. The combining all courts and services in one building has been used as an example in many more communities in the state.  We have District, Magistrate and Municipal courts along with the District Attorney, Probation, pretrial services, community services, victim advocate services and Teen Court under the same roof. I am proud to have been part of making sure the citizens of Los Alamos have the services needed.  With an upcoming state wide conference on mental health issue I hope to see more services for Los Alamos, the First Judicial District and the State.

There has been so many high points to my time in office. One of my favorite duties is preforming about 430 weddings and swearing in the Officers of the Los Alamos police department.  I was given the exceptional honor of attending the National Judicial College in Reno, NV, where I earned a certificate in Judicial Development in Special Jurisdiction Trial Skills.  My peers gave me the trust to serve as both President and Secretary of the New Mexico Magistrate Judges Association. I have served as a member of the New Mexico Judges Council, working with the Supreme Court and Chief Judges of the state to better the judiciary for all citizens. In all the positions I worked with the Legislators to assure the judiciary of the state was funded and provided services for all communities. A challenging and rewarding experience was begin appointed to serve as a mentor judge for many new judges coming on the bench.

 I am extremely proud to represent the County of Los Alamos while serving on every committee, at every meeting or conference, and at the Legislative sessions. I would like to thank all the wonderful people I have worked with, especially the clerks who worked in the office. I could not have done this job without your hard work.

I will continue to work for the future of the judiciary during the rest of my term. I hope to continue to find ways to serve the wonderful community of Los Alamos. Thank you so much for entrusting me with this position.