City Clerk Aubrey Hobson issues the Oath of Office to Sarah Gallegos Dec. 31, 2019, following her appointment to the position of Artesia Municipal Court judge by Mayor Raye Miller. Gallegos ascended the bench Jan. 1 to fulfill the term of former longtime municipal judge Kaye Kiper, who retired Dec. 31. Kiper originally retired from the position in 2012 after 19 years of service but was appointed in 2015 to fulfill the term of the late Richard Martinez. Kiper then ran for reelection in 2016 and won but elected to make her retirement official one year shy of the completion of her four-year term.
