Ford v. New Mexico Department of Public Safety

OPINION

HARTZ, Judge.

This appeal raises novel issues in the law of judgments. One theme permeating the law of judgments is that a litigant is ordinarily not entitled to more than one fair bite at the apple. This theme finds expression in two doctrines familiar to all litigators. The doctrine of claim preclusion (a more descriptive term for what has often been denominated res judicata) prevents a party from repeatedly bringing the same cause of action against the same person. See Three Rivers Land Co. v. Maddoux, 98 N.M. 690, 694-96, 652 P.2d 240, 244-46 (1982), overruled on other grounds by…