ABQJOURNAL OPINION/EDITORIALS: Journal Selections in Bernalillo County Races

Willow Misty Parks for Probate Judge
        There are no educational or licensure requirements for probate judges in New Mexico; the law basically says each county must have one, and it’s a part-time position that pays $28,000 a year.
        But probate judges fill an important role with the potential to touch many lives. They mostly deal with the transfer of property of people who have died, whether or not there’s a will. (Serious disputes go to district court.)
        So it is a plus that Democratic candidate Willow Misty Parks is a lawyer who has specialized in wills, trusts, probate and business law. She received her law degree from the University of New Mexico in 2003.
        Her interest in probate-related issues has led her to teach at UNM and Central New Mexico Community College and give presentations for groups as diverse as the AARP and the New Mexico State Bar, where she is a volunteer attorney in its Elder Law Section.
        Her legal background will enable her to work with everyone from lawyers to regular folks handling their own cases.
        The Journal recommends voters elect Willow Misty Parks for Bernalillo County probate judge.

ABQJOURNAL OPINION/EDITORIALS: Journal Selections in Bernalillo County Races

While the journal speaks of the ‘plus’ that Parks is an attorney experienced in this area of the law, they won’t say that her opponent is just the opposite: a non-lawyer who knows nothing about probate.