KRWG Public Media is covering the District Court Judge race for the Third Judicial District in Doña Ana County. Democratic candidate Isabel Jerabek spoke to Noah Raess.
Noah Raess:
Just to start off, can you tell me about your background and how that has prepared you to serve in office?
Isabel Jerabek:
So the office that I'm seeking, Third Judicial District Judge, Division four is mainly a family court judgeship. I became a lawyer over 20 years ago, in September of 2005. I've practiced in the areas of family law, civil order of protection, guardianships, social security, disability and criminal defense, among other things. Simultaneously, I've run my own law practice for over 17 years, or almost 17 years excuse me, and for 13 of those years, I contracted with the Third Judicial District Court as a hearing officer. Initially, I began contracting with the court as a back up domestic relations hearing officer for domestic violence in October of 2009. Then, in March 2015, my contract with the court became full time, lasting through August of 2022 during the domestic violence work. Next, in September of 2022, I closed down my law practice and began to work with the Third Judicial District Court full time as a staff attorney supervisor. And in that role, I oversaw the courts, legal department, mediation department, and self-help center. And I was appointed by the judges at that time to assist the court with the previous judicial vacancy over the Division four docket and with hearing officer vacancies. Finally, in October of 2023, I was promoted to my current role for the Third Judicial District Court which was as a domestic relations hearing officer. For an additional two months, I also served as the backup, attorney supervisor until they found a permanent person for that position. In my current role as the domestic relations hearing officer, I preside over many of the family court cases that I will hear when elected for the office of the third Judicial District Judge, Division four for Doña Ana County. I just lack the ability to finalize the parties legal proceedings, such as sign their final divorce decrees. All my career based experience makes me the most qualified candidate for this office, because I have over 16 years total of on the bench experience in making timely, fair and impartial decisions while applying the facts of cases to the applicable law, maintaining a very high volume caseload and using the court software, and working well with the court staff. Thus, my extensive work experience allows me to hit the ground running on the first day in office without any learning curve.
Noah Raess:
Why are you running for this office?
Isabel Jerabek:
I'm running for the office of third Judicial District Judge, Division four for Doña Ana County, because I want to help put an end to the revolving door of Family Court judges that the Third Judicial District Court has experienced my entire legal career, so that the families that come to court in the Doña Ana County area are able to get the access to the resolution they need to be able to move forward with their lives. When I was eight years old, that's when I decided I wanted to be a lawyer to help people. I met that goal and in working with my career in my home community of Doña Ana County, I've experienced the revolving door of judges that come and go at the Third Judicial District Court and the Family Court bench, particularly in the last ten years. That high judicial turnover, especially as applied to the family court docket, has led to backlogged cases, people not getting answers they need in their legal disputes from the court, so they're able to move forward with their lives, and so they know how to manage their families. Attorneys aren't able to give their clients legal advice based on which judge is assigned to their case. They depend on the judiciary being consistent and predictable, and guiding their clients and informing them about how to proceed with their cases. And all of this leads to the community in general having a lack of confidence in the court system. The more turnover a court experiences from the bench, the more these problems and issues compounds, and I have the experience, temperament, knowledge, work ethic and dedication required to put an end to the high judicial turnover rate at the Family Court docket for the Third Judicial District Court and I want people to know that I don't enter this office with a romanticized view of the role and responsibilities I would be undertaking. I'm well aware of the long hours and the uphill battle that I would face in rehabilitating this particular docket, and I'm inheriting, an incredible backlog, and I'm committed to putting forth the necessary time and effort to getting the job done for the community members that present their legal issues before this court.
Noah Raess:
You touched on this a little bit, but what are the biggest issues in your district for this office?
Isabel Jerabek:
So there's many issues, but the top issues that I see for the Third Judicial District Judge, Division four in this particular office are the high rate of the existing backlogged court cases due to the years of judicial turnover that this district has had in the family court docket, the amount of time between the requests for hearings being filed and the date that people actually get a future court date set and the other issue I see is ensuring that everybody has access to justice within the court system.
Noah Raess:
How would you successfully address those issues?
Isabel Jerabek:
So with regard to the issue about the revolving door of judges, I would solve that issue by providing longevity and stability to the court. I don't seek this office to cap off my retirement and end of my career, or use this position as a stepping stone to my next political endeavor. I am running to be the next third Judicial District Judge for Division four, because this is the job I want to do for the rest of my career, and I intend the rest of my career to be lengthy. By voting for me, people would be voting for someone who has proven to have experience at being fair, impartial and issuing timely decisions for this court. With regard to the backlogged docket and the timeliness of hearings being set, I see those as issues that are interrelated with each other. I plan on resolving those issues by taking ownership of my own docket and being hands on in my own case management. I would ensure that I hire an assistant to help pay attention to detail in scheduling and prioritizing the oldest cases first with earlier settings, and one that also actively reviews all incoming new filings to make sure that those matters are moved through the system, as they should be from the beginning, so that all the backlog cases are cleared out of the system and the new matters don't end up in the backlog state. And finally, with regards to the existing requests for settings that are on file, I would make sure that all of those are processed and set for hearing. The ones that are ready to be set for hearing, the ones that are not ready to be set for hearings for one reason or another, I would make sure my staff reaches out to those parties and it's in the form of a letter or communication, and explains exactly what needs to happen for their case to be ready to move forward so the parties can get together what they actually need, rather than their case just sitting there waiting to be dismissed because no one's doing anything. And these things need to be managed on a regular and consistent basis, and they need to be managed by not only the judges assistant, but also by the judge, themselves. And I'm willing to do that to make sure that one or both of us catch everything that needs to happen. And then finally, with regard to access to justice, I am currently a member of the Third Judicial District courts pro bono committee. The pro bono committee is responsible for putting together free legal affairs and clinics and we don't just do these in Las Cruces, but we also try to do them in other areas around the entire county in community centers or public places where people in those parts of the county can go to meet with lawyers, get free legal advice about their various legal issues, and we try real hard to do them at least every couple of months. So that way they have access to the legal advice aspects. They have access to the awareness of issues. We also try to give them information about other resources that could be available to them to get access to the court system that they might not otherwise be aware of. And I plan to remain a member of that committee, because I think it's important that people are aware of all those services that are out there for them.
Noah Raess:
Finally, what else do you think it's important for voters to know about you and your campaign?
Isabel Jerabek:
I do not seek to become the next third judicial district judge Division four Doña Ana county just because I'm trying to get a title or I want power. I seek this office because this is the best way that I can use my skill set, qualifications and expertise to help people navigate the court system in Doña Ana County to receive the fair, compassionate and timely legal resolutions their family cases need so that families can move forward with their lives. I want to be in this office to help fix the problems at a courthouse that I'm invested in for the benefit of my home community. I'm the only candidate for this office with multi-generational Hispanic roots in Doña Ana County. My grandpa, whose name was Reilly Padilla, was a farmer in Salem, New Mexico, which is in northern Doña Ana County. My mom was the youngest of six children raised on that farm, and I'm the third generation to be raised in Doña Ana County. As a citizen of this community, in my family, I grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We moved here when I was seven years old. I moved away from Las Cruces after that time, only to attend law school, and I came home to open my law office and then serve my home community. Having been around Doña Ana County my entire life makes me intimately familiar with the numerous challenges that residents of this 3800 square mile county face when they try to access a court system that is mostly based in Las Cruces. Those difficulties include, but are not limited to, a lack of quality phone service and reliable internet connectivity, or the necessary skills to use those services if they are available. Transportation issues, due to the length of the trip, lack of access to a vehicle or a ride to court. No gas money or no driver's license. Inability to get time off work. Lack of daycare for their children, and immigration issues, especially for people who live in the northern part of the county. In addition to my vast resume of legal qualifications for the office, the third Judicial District Judge Division four I am also a member of the District Courts pro bono pro-bono committee that puts together and hosts the free legal fairs. And finally, as a high school student, I volunteered my Saturday evenings most weeks to help raise money for Mesilla Valley Hospice. So I have a history of community service in this county. I am dedicated to serving the citizens of all of Doña Ana County, and I want to continue to do that into my retirement.
