Government of New Mexico

The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, while the speaker of the House is elected from that body in a closed door majority member caucus.

Both have wide latitude in choosing committee membership in their respective houses and have a large impact on lawmaking in the state.

It is primarily an appellate court, only having original jurisdiction in a limited number of actions; criminal cases in which the death penalty or life imprisonment is sought, appeals from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, and cases involving the writ of habeas corpus are reviewed directly by the Supreme Court.

The court's five justices are chosen by statewide election, or appointed by the governor if to fill a seat that has become vacant mid-term.

[4] It hears cases involving: tort, contract, landlord and tenant rights ($0–10,000); felony first appearances; misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, domestic violence, and other traffic violations.

A municipality may call itself a village, town, or city,[5] and there is no distinction in law and no correlation to any particular form (Mayor-Council, Commission-Manager, etc.).