State ex rel. New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission v. Espinosa

OPINION

MAES, Chief Justice.

{1} Petitioners, members of the Judicial Standards Commission (Commission), filed a petition, for a writ of quo warranto with this Court, seeking to stop Governor Bill Richardson from removing the six lay members of the Commission and replacing them with new gubernatorial appointees. We issued a stay of any further business while we determined whether the Governor has the authority to remove prior gubernatorial appointees to the Commission. We hold that Article V, Section 5 of the New Mexico Constitution grants the governor the right to remove and replace lay…