Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados has announced her intention to seek reelection to her position next year. Saying she has enjoyed serving the County of Los Alamos, Casados said she is ready to continue serving for a fifth term.

“I want to stay active and I think it’s very important to keep rural and small courts on a par with the larger courts,” she said.

A familiar face at the State Legislature where she has worked on behalf of the 60-member New Mexico Magistrate Judges Association, Casados said she wants full support for funding for the judiciary.

“We need to have a strong judiciary for the economics, safety and justice in our state,” she said.

Casados was elected president of the Magistrate Judges Association in 2016 and was just reelected to that position.

New Mexico has 67 magistrate court judges who are subject to election every four years. Magistrate courts have limited jurisdiction and handle DWI cases, misdemeanors, traffic violations, civil actions up to $10,000 and can hold preliminary hearings to determine probable cause on felony charges.