First Judicial District Court of New MexicoJudiciary

The First Judicial District Court of New Mexico is a state trial court of general jurisdiction serving Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties within the New Mexico Judicial Branch. Its mandate is to preside over felony criminal trials, major civil disputes, domestic relations and family law matters, juvenile proceedings, and appeals from lower magistrate and municipal courts. Tracing its territorial judicial origins to 1846 following the promulgation of the Kearny Code during the Mexican-American War, the court was formally established as a constitutional state district court in 1912 under Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution upon statehood, historically handling significant state constitutional challenges and governmental disputes at the state capital in Santa Fe.