2020 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 34 - Court Structure and Administration
Article 6 - District Courts
Section 34-6-1 - Judicial districts.

The state shall be divided into judicial districts as follows:

A. first judicial district, the counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos;

B. second judicial district, the county of Bernalillo;

C. third judicial district, the county of Dona Ana;

D. fourth judicial district, the counties of Guadalupe, San Miguel and Mora;

E. fifth judicial district, the counties of Eddy, Chaves and Lea;

F. sixth judicial district, the counties of Grant, Luna and Hidalgo;

G. seventh judicial district, the counties of Socorro, Torrance, Sierra and Catron;

H. eighth judicial district, the counties of Taos, Colfax and Union;

I. ninth judicial district, the counties of Curry and Roosevelt;

J. tenth judicial district, the counties of Quay, DeBaca and Harding;

K. eleventh judicial district, the counties of McKinley and San Juan;

L. twelfth judicial district, the counties of Otero and Lincoln; and

M. thirteenth judicial district, the counties of Cibola, Sandoval and Valencia.

History: Laws 1941, ch. 75, § 1; 1941 Comp., § 16-301; Laws 1951, ch. 177, § 1 (1); 1953 Comp., § 16-3-1; Laws 1961, ch. 188, § 1; 1971, ch. 52, § 1; 1992, ch. 70, § 1.

Temporary provisions. — Laws 2019, ch. 212, § 279 provided that:

A. The term of a district court judge in any judicial district serving in a division numbered 2 or every third number thereafter that was set to expire on December 31, 2020 shall expire on December 31, 2022, subject to the provisions of the Nonpartisan Judicial Retention Act and Article 6 of the constitution of New Mexico.

B. The term of a district court judge in any judicial district serving in a division numbered 3 or every third number thereafter that was set to expire on December 31, 2020 shall expire on December 31, 2024, subject to the provisions of the Nonpartisan Judicial Retention Act and Article 6 of the constitution of New Mexico.

Cross references. — For district judge serving on supreme court, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 6.

For election and term of office of district judges, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 12.

For jurisdiction of district courts, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 13.

For qualifications and residence of district court judges, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 14.

For selection of substitute judges, see N.M. Const., art. VI, §§ 15, 28.

For increasing number of judges in district, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 16.

For rearranging districts, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 16.

For disqualification of judges, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 18.

For ineligibility of district judges for nonjudicial offices, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 19.

For original judicial districts, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 25.

For district judge acting as judge of court of appeals, see N.M. Const., art. VI, § 28.

For powers of district judges being unaffected by city-county consolidation, see 3-16-11 NMSA 1978.

For power to revoke deputy sheriff 's commission, see 4-41-8 NMSA 1978.

For duty of sheriff to attend court, see 4-41-16C NMSA 1978.

For appointment of appraisers for sale of county property, see 4-47-4 NMSA 1978.

For children's court division, see 32A-1-5 NMSA 1978.

For trial de novo on appeal to district court, see 39-3-1 NMSA 1978.

For concurrent jurisdiction in matters of informal probate, see 45-1-302.1 NMSA 1978.

The 1992 amendment, effective March 9, 1992, inserted "Cibola," in Subsection M.

Appropriations. — Laws 2006, ch. 99, § 8, effective July 1, 2006, appropriates funds from the general fund for expenditure in fiscal year 2007 for salaries and benefits and furniture, supplies and equipment for additional district judges and support staff for the third, fifth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth judicial districts and provides that any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of the fiscal year 2007 shall revert to the general fund.

Controlling statute. — Laws 1951, ch. 177, represents a later expression of the legislative will than Laws 1951, ch. 176, and must control as to the terms of court in the third judicial district. State v. Montiel, 1952-NMSC-028, 56 N.M. 181, 241 P.2d 844.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 20 Am. Jur. 2d Courts § 5.

21 C.J.S. Courts § 105.