Bernalillo County Metropolitan CourtJudiciary

The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court is a specialized state trial court of limited jurisdiction serving Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque within the New Mexico Judicial Branch. Its mandate is to adjudicate misdemeanor criminal offenses, DWI prosecutions, county and municipal traffic violations, small claims, and civil lawsuits where disputed amounts do not exceed $10,000, as well as conduct initial felony arraignments and preliminary hearings. Authorized by the New Mexico Legislature in 1979 and officially opened in 1980, the court consolidated the former Albuquerque Municipal Court, Bernalillo County Magistrate Court, and Small Claims Court into a single unified metropolitan court, standing as the only court of its kind in New Mexico and the busiest court in the state.