14 apply for New Mexico Supreme Court vacancies

Katy Barnitz
Albuquerque Journal
The building for the New Mexico Supreme Court is shown.

ALBUQUERQUE - Judges and attorneys from across the state have submitted applications in hopes of being appointed to the state Supreme Court.

The Judicial Nominating Commission announced Thursday evening that it has received 14 applications to fill vacancies created by the upcoming retirements of justices Petra Jimenez Maes and Charles Daniels.

The nominating commission will meet in the Supreme Court building in Santa Fe on Jan. 10 to evaluate applicants, which include several state District Court judges, a former U.S. Attorney and the director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. The commission then submits its recommendations to the governor for consideration.

Applicants are:

  • C. Shannon Bacon, 2nd Judicial District Court judge
  • Beatrice J. Brickhouse, 2nd Judicial District Court judge
  • Geenebah Michelle Brown-Yazzie
  • James Waylon Counts, 12th Judicial District Court judge
  • George Phillip Eichwald, 13th Judicial District Court judge
  • Timothy Glenn Ellington, 1st Judicial District Court judge
  • Damon Paul Martinez, former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico
  • Jeff Foster McElroy, 8th Judicial District Court judge
  • Mel "Dylan" O'Reilly, Santa Fe attorney
  • Arthur William Pepin, Administrative Office of the Courts director
  • William Daniel Slease
  • David K. Thomson, 1st Judicial District Court judge
  • Jane Bloom Yohalem, Santa Fe appellate attorney
  • Linda Miriam Vanzi, Court of Appeals judge