Commission Recommends Two For NM Supreme Court

A bipartisan commission is recommending two candidates to Republican Gov. Susana Martinez for an interim appointment to the New Mexico Supreme Court.  The judicial nominating commission on Tuesday unanimously recommended former Justice Paul Kennedy of Albuquerque and career prosecutor Steven Suttle, who worked for 14 years in the attorney general's office before retiring in 2010.

They were the only applicants for a court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Patricio Serna.

The governor's appointee will serve until the winner of the November general election takes office. Political parties will select their nominees for the ballot. Kennedy plans to seek the Republican nomination but Suttle isn't pursuing the Democratic nomination.

Kennedy represented Martinez in redistricting lawsuits. He served on the five-member Supreme Court in 2002.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.