Courts

New Video By New Mexico Courts Explains Jury Duty

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The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court celebrates Juror Appreciation Week. From left to right: Jury Division staff Emily Dominguez, Abbey Whitaker and Manager Alyssia Trujillo. Courtesy/Metro Court

COURT News:

SANTA FE – A new video provides a clear, modern guide to serving as a juror in a New Mexico court.

The orientation video explains what to expect during jury service, including what happens if a person must report to a courthouse for possible selection as a juror in a criminal or civil trial. Click here to view the juror orientation video on the New Mexico Courts YouTube channel.

“New Read More

FBI: ‘Dirty Bondsman’ Charged With Trafficking, Forced Labor Scheme

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FBI News:

  • If convicted of the current charges, Hernandez faces up to life in prison.

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces bounty hunter is facing federal charges after he allegedly bonded vulnerable individuals out of jail and exploited them through coercion and threats.

According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received information that Robert Jay Hernandez, 62, a bounty hunter working for a bail bond company in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was bonding individuals out of the Doña Ana County Detention Center and requiring them to live at his personal residence.

Investigators Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Man’s Convictions For Murder At Albuquerque Motel

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COURT News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court has affirmed a Bernalillo County man’s convictions for a fatal shooting in 2021 at an Albuquerque motel and conspiring to rob the victim.

In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Michael E. Vigil, the Court rejected arguments by the defendant, Christopher Maldonado, that there was not enough evidence to convict him and that the jury was confused by the instructions it received from the trial court.

“Viewing the evidence in its entirety, a reasonable jury could have found that Defendant was the masked individual who shot Victim. We conclude Read More

Fourth Annual Summit For Treatment Court Alumni May 4-6

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NMSC News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The Administrative Office of the Courts Therapeutic Justice Support Program is hosting the NM Alumni Summit at the Santa Ana Resort & Casino, May 4-6, 2026.

More than 265 people are expected to attend the summit, which will provide alumni, professionals, and families with professional development to enhance the support system for alumni and participants of treatment court programs in New Mexico. 

“The Judiciary values the long-term successes of alumni,” said New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas. “New Mexico is the leader in Treatment Court Read More

Luján, Blackburn Bipartisan Bill To Crack Down On Carjacking Passes Senate Judiciary Committee

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statements after their Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This legislation would make a long overdue fix to the federal carjacking statute, empowering prosecutors to hold more offenders accountable.

“The Albuquerque area continues to rank among the top cities for carjackings. This is unacceptable and puts people’s lives and livelihoods at risk,” Sen. Luján said. “It is a positive step that legislation to give prosecutors Read More

Law Day Celebrates Rule Of Law & Role In American Dream

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Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas. Courtesy/NMSC

COURT News:

SANTA FE – In a proclamation celebrating Law Day on Friday, Supreme Court Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas encourages New Mexicans “to reflect on the essential role the rule of law plays in securing the promise of the American Dream.”

“As proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, all individuals are endowed with certain unalienable rights and chief among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The rule of law gives these ideals practical meaning by ensuring that laws are fair, publicized, and evenly enforced, and that Read More

Court Of Appeals Will Hear A Case In Roswell On Law Day

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COURT News:

ROSWELL – The state Court of Appeals will conduct an oral argument before students in Roswell on May 1 as part of the national observance of Law Day.

A three-judge panel of the Court will hear attorneys present arguments in an appeal of a man’s conviction of a misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer. The proceeding will take place at Goddard High School starting at 10 a.m. Judges will answer questions from students after the one-hour argument.

“Students develop a deeper understanding of the legal system by observing real courtroom proceedings firsthand,” said Court Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Rejects Utility’s Request To Retroactively Recover Losses From Rates

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State Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Friday that an electric utility cannot recover losses it experienced under rates that were later invalidated on appeal.

In a unanimous opinion, New Mexico’s highest court upheld a decades-old legal precedent that prohibits retroactive ratemaking. The justices concluded that El Paso Electric Company (EPE) “has not shown sufficiently compelling reasons for overruling this Court’s retroactive ratemaking precedent.”

The Court affirmed the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission’s (PRC) denial of a proposal by EPE Read More