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New Mexico’s 33 counties are divided into 13 judicial districts. There are 88 full-time district judges statewide.
The district court is a trial court of general jurisdiction, having exclusive jurisdiction in all matters involving juvenile, domestic relations, and all cases not excepted in the Constitution or by law, such as those concurrent with probate courts in probate matters.
To be eligible to hold the office of District Court Judge, a person must:
- be at least 35 years old
- have practiced law for at least 6 years
- reside in the district for which they are elected or appointed
When evaluating District Court judges standing for retention, the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission sends confidential written surveys to:
- lawyers who have had direct interaction with the judge
- jurors
- court staff
- resource personnel (law enforcement, psychologists, adult and juvenile probation/parole officers, citizen review board volunteers, social workers, CASA [Court Appointed Special Advocate] volunteers and interpreters)
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