Robles, six others recommended for high court job

Following a day of interviews in Santa Fe, three judges and four lawyers made the cut and will be considered by Gov. Bill Richardson for a vacancy on the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Robert E. Robles, chief judge of the Third Judicial District Court in Doña Ana County, was among those the committee voted to recommend to the governor this evening.

The others the commission recommended are:

• Albuquerque criminal defense attorney Charles W. Daniels

• New Mexico General Services Secretary Arturo L. Jaramillo

• Albuquerque lawyer Edward R. Ricco, who specializes in appellate law

• Maureen A. Sanders, an Albuquerque attorney who used to run the civil division in the state attorney general’s office

• Judge Linda M. Vanzi of the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County

• State Court of Appeals Judge Michael E. Vigil

The governor is tasked with making an appointment from among the names recommended by the commission. If he doesn’t like his options, he can ask the commission to reconvene – once – to consider whether to forward the names of any of the other eight applicants for his consideration.

The vacancy was created last month by the death of Justice Pamela B. Minzner. Robles, 57, would be the first person from Southern New Mexico appointed to the high court since 1975.

Update, 7:10 p.m.

Robles had this to say:

“It truly is an honor to have been selected by a blue-ribbon commission to have my name sent to the governor, and as being one of the few that are qualified to serve on the Supreme Court,” he said. “I’m hoping the governor is going to do something that hasn’t been done in 32 years, and that’s appoint someone to the Supreme Court bench from south of Albuquerque.”