1. The Court Executive Officer is the Clerk of the Court as defined in NMSA 1978, §34-6-19. The Clerk, through deputies, receives, endorses, and dockets all manner of pleadings, motions, and other litigation-related papers into the Court’s files and provides public access to those files in the manner and to the extent provided by law.
2. The Court Executive Officer also provides day-to-day supervision and direction to the Court’s non-Judicial staff in support of the Judges including deputy clerks, financial and personnel specialists, drug court staff, bailiffs, and Court reporters and monitors.

The Court Executive Officer works closely with administrative staff at the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Supreme Court.

The CFO manages the operations of the Finance Office and is responsible for: preparation and execution of the annual operating budget; maintaining the SHARE accounting system and general ledger; overseeing the accounting of financial transactions; directing purchasing, procurement of goods and services and payment of invoices; overseeing accounts payable, cash bond refunds, acquisition of attorney and other contractual services; coordinating the annual audit and preparation of financial statements. The CFO is assisted in these functions by the Finance Office staff headed by the Senior Financial Specialist.

Budget Preparation

The CFO is the Court’s budget officer and, as such, prepares revenue estimates and budgetary needs estimates for salaries and employee benefits, contractual services and other costs expenditures categories; maintains the budget execution and analysis tools; prepares monthly expenditure reports; using the state Budget Preparation System, prepares budget appropriation requests for submittal to the state Department of Finance & Administration (DFA) and the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC); prepares Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) budget request documents; attends budget committee meetings, budget hearings, and legislative budget proceedings; and performs other budget work as needed.

Financial/Cash Management

The Office oversees the cash procedures of the Court including: preparation of daily cash deposits, making the deposits to the financial institutions, processing cash transfers to the State Treasurer’s Office, reconciling all bank statements to actual balances, and ensuring the accurate accounting of cash transactions.

Procurement/Asset Management

The procurement of court needed goods and services is assigned to the Procurement Specialist who conducts the purchasing process in accordance with State Procurement Code regulations. The procurement function includes: processing of approved requisitions;  issuance of RFP’s and RFQ’s; preparation of contracts and purchase orders; submittal to DFA for approval of purchases that exceed limits; coordination of accounts payable and approval of invoices for payment. In addition, the specialist oversees the physical inventory of equipment and conducts the annual inventory for the annual audit. Assets are disposed of following disposition of assets procedures outlined by the State Auditor’s Office.

Accounts Payable

The Office processes the payment of DFA approved invoices and submits AOC invoices to Santa Fe for payment. DFA approved invoices include charges for goods and services acquired by the Court through its purchasing/procurement functions. AOC invoices include payments to jurors, AOC provided attorneys, interpreters and others who are contracted under agreement with the Administrative Office of the Courts, as well as invoices from the District Attorney’s Office for witnesses, expert witnesses, witness travel, food and lodging.

Cash (Bail) Bonds/Restitution

The Office maintains the trust accounts for cash bail bonds, litigant interest bearing funds, and restitution payment funds. Bond reconciliations are done to ensure that bonds have been accurately posted to the correct case in the case management system. Refunds of bail bonds are prepared for disbursement to the individual who posted the bail bond. Restitution payment checks are also prepared for disbursement to the damaged party. Accounts are reconciled monthly.

Accounting/SHARE

The CFO is responsible for ensuring the accurate accounting of financial transactions on SHARE which is the accounting entity of the State. Functions include:  maintenance of the general ledger; verification that deposits, payments, employee payments and benefits charges, and all other financial transactions are posted to the proper accounts; correction of any errors; ensure accounting entries balance; perform internal auditing of transactions.

Audit/Financial Statements

The CFO develops, implements and maintains prudent fiscal policies, procedures, internal accounting controls and contracts for the annual independent audit of such policies and procedures. The Office works with the external auditors to prepare for the annual audit;  ensures that documents and other information is provided; ensures that the audit is completed in a timely manner;  corrects problems and findings identified in the audit; ensures that the audit and financial statements accurately reflect the financial position of the Court;  ensures the timely submission of the audit and financial statements to the State Auditor’s Office.

Directions to Finance Office