Gov picks former Las Cruces city attorney to fill district court vacancy

LAS CRUCES – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham selected Mark Standridge to fill a vacancy left by retired-judge Mary Rosner on Feb. 24.

Rosner left the Third Judicial District Court at the end of last year.

As first reported by the Deming Headlight, Rosner was censured by the New Mexico Supreme Court after she admitted to violating the state’s code of judicial ethics. The violation stemmed from a news article published in the Sun-News in 2020.

Standridge will fill in as a district judge covering various family law issues, among other areas.

Standridge worked an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, investigating and prosecuting felony criminal cases.

According to a news release, Standridge graduated from the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico School of Law before he was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 2006.

Standridge beat out several other applicants to become the governor’s pick, including:

• Silvia Delgado, a public defender in federal court

• Rebecca Duffin, a former prosecutor and current magistrate judge

• Isabel Jerabek, an attorney in Las Cruces since 2005

• Ramona Martinez, a criminal defense attorney

• Yvonne Quintana, a family law, DUI and criminal defense attorney

• Jeanne Quintero, a former district judge

• Mark Standridge, an assistant federal prosecutor

Standridge will have to run and win in the next general election to be confirmed by the voters of Doña Ana County as a district judge.

Justin Garcia covers crime, courts and public safety. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Former Las Cruces city attorney to fill district court vacancy