New Mexico voters have approved a constitutional amendment that seeks to bring the state court system one step closer toward streamlining the appeals process for some low-level cases.
The measure also had the support of members of the state judiciary.
While it seeks to change an obscure segment of state law, supporters say it could result in notable savings in both cost and time for busy courthouses, like those in Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque.
The amendment proposes allowing lawmakers to begin reviewing the appeals court process for cases that originate in probate and magistrate courts, as well as the Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County.
After hearings, debate and analysis, lawmakers could then vote to decide whether the requests for the lower-level cases to be overturned or retried should be allowed to proceed directly to the New Mexico Court of Appeals.