Santa Fe County District Court Overview
New Mexico uses District Court as its primary trial court. The state court structure map identifies District Courts as courts of general jurisdiction that conduct jury trials. In Santa Fe County, the relevant trial court is the First Judicial District Court, which serves Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties. A Santa Fe County case should be searched and requested through the Santa Fe courthouse path unless the record was filed in one of the other First Judicial District counties.
The primary courthouse for Santa Fe County District Court records is the Santa Fe County District Courthouse, also known as the Steve Herrera Judicial Complex, at 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501. The court lists public hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., open through the lunch hour. The court's main phone is 505-455-8250, fax is 505-455-8280, and mailing address is P.O. Box 2268, Santa Fe, NM 87504. The Self Help Center is on the first floor next to the Court Clerk's Office.
The First Judicial District judge and division roster is shown in the official judges source.
That roster supports District Court division research because it lists Santa Fe judges, court assignments, phone numbers, and docket links.
Santa Fe County District Court Divisions
Santa Fe County District Court is not a set of separate numbered county courts. It is the Santa Fe location of the First Judicial District Court, with judicial divisions assigned to civil, family, children's, criminal, juvenile, habeas, and related work. The table below follows the Phase-B requirement for a full court table by using the numbered District Court divisions shown in the research.
| Court Number | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division I, Francis J. Mathew | Civil Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8155 |
| Division II, Maria Sanchez-Gagne | Civil Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8160 |
| Division III, Todd A. Coberly | Family Court and Children's Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8165 |
| Division IV, Denise M. Thomas | Family Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8150 |
| Division V, Jason Lidyard | Criminal and Juvenile Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8170 |
| Division VI, Bryan Biedscheid | Civil Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8215 |
| Division VII, T. Glenn Ellington | Criminal Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8180 |
| Division VIII, Anastasia R. Martin | Rio Arriba civil and adult criminal; also listed with Santa Fe address | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8290 or 505-455-8325 |
| Division IX, Matthew J. Wilson | Civil Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8175 |
| Division X, Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood | Civil and Habeas Corpus | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-455-8156 |
Santa Fe County District Court Jurisdiction
District Court handles the broadest local state-court record set. The research lists felony criminal, civil cases over $10,000, domestic relations, child support, orders of protection, kinship guardianship, name changes, real-estate foreclosures, lower-court appeals, juvenile matters, mental health, administrative appeals, estates, and probate-related case categories. It is also the court to check when an informal probate matter becomes contested or when a guardianship or conservatorship is filed as a District Court case.
District Court is also the appellate route for some lower-court matters. A traffic, misdemeanor, landlord-tenant, or limited civil matter may begin in Magistrate Court or Municipal Court, but certain appeals or more serious charges can move into District Court. That is why case search should match the court level to the claim, charge, or procedural stage. A District Court result does not mean a lower-court record never existed, and a lower-court record does not always mean no District Court case followed.
The official legal research portal for state law is shown in the NMOneSource legal research source.
That source supports statute and rule checks for jurisdiction, case categories, public access, and appeal questions tied to District Court records.
District Court vs Magistrate and Municipal
Santa Fe County's lower courts are Magistrate Court and Municipal Court. Magistrate Court handles limited civil, landlord-tenant, misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, traffic, and felony preliminary matters. Municipal Court handles city petty misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic, and municipal ordinance violations, with no jury trials. County Probate Court handles informal, uncontested probate and is separate from District Court unless the probate matter becomes contested or falls under a District Court case category.
| Issue | District Court | Magistrate Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil reach | Civil over $10,000 and broader civil categories | Civil and landlord-tenant from $0-$10,000 | City ordinance related matters |
| Criminal reach | Felony, juvenile, appeals, and serious criminal matters | Misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, traffic, and felony preliminary hearings | Petty misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, traffic, and municipal ordinance |
| Family cases | Divorce, child support, custody-related domestic cases, kinship guardianship | Not the main family court venue | Not the family court venue |
| Jury trials | Yes | Yes | No jury trials |
| Primary Santa Fe address | 225 Montezuma Ave. | 2056 Galisteo St. | 2511 Camino Entrada |
Santa Fe County Case Flow
A case can move through more than one court level. A felony may begin with arrest or a complaint and a preliminary process in Magistrate Court, then proceed to District Court for felony filings, arraignment, pretrial hearings, trial, disposition, and sentencing. A city traffic or ordinance case may stay in Municipal Court unless a separate District Court path is triggered. A civil case depends on amount, claim type, and relief sought.
Criminal flow: Arrest or complaint › Magistrate first appearance or preliminary stage › District Court indictment or information › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or trial › Sentencing › Appeal.
Civil flow: Petition or complaint filed › Service › Answer › Motions or hearing settings › Trial or other resolution › Judgment › Appeal.
Note: If a hearing or case stage is unclear, confirm the next required step with the Santa Fe courthouse before relying on a calendar entry.
Santa Fe County Court Locations
District Court records often need lower-court context. The court hierarchy in the research places Santa Fe County District Court above local Magistrate and Municipal courts for many appeal or escalation purposes, while county Probate Court remains a limited probate venue. These offices should be checked based on the case type, not just the party name.
| Court or Division | Role | Address | Phone or Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe County District Courthouse / First Judicial District Court | General jurisdiction: felony, civil over $10,000, domestic, juvenile, appeals, orders of protection, probate-related PB/PQ/SA matters | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501; mail P.O. Box 2268 | 505-455-8250; fax 505-455-8280 |
| Santa Fe County Magistrate Courthouse | Limited jurisdiction: civil under $10,000, landlord-tenant, traffic, misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, felony preliminary hearings | 2056 Galisteo St., Santa Fe, NM 87505; mail P.O. Box 5138 | 505-984-9914; fax 505-986-5866 |
| Santa Fe Municipal Court | City ordinance, traffic, petty misdemeanor, DWI/DUI municipal matters | 2511 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, NM 87507 | 505-955-5070; fax 505-955-5159 |
| Santa Fe County Probate Court / Probate Judge | Informal and uncontested probate; marriages by appointment | 240 Grant Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-992-1636 |
| New Mexico Supreme Court | State court of last resort | 237 Don Gaspar Ave., Rm 104, Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-827-4860 |
| Court of Appeals, Santa Fe Office | Intermediate appellate court | 237 Don Gaspar Ave., Rm 116, Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-827-4925; fax 505-827-4946 |
Santa Fe County District Court Setting
Santa Fe County is the county seat area for the District Court location and sits in a court district that also serves Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties. The local New Mexico Counties profile supplies county context such as county seat, economy, and area, while the court sources supply the actual record path. County context is useful for confirming that a Santa Fe filing belongs in the Santa Fe courthouse, not in a different First Judicial District county.
The New Mexico Counties profile is shown in the Santa Fe County profile source.
The profile gives county-level context, while the courthouse, docket, and clerk sources remain the record access authorities.
Santa Fe County District Court Parking
The First Judicial District parking guidance says there is no on-site parking at 225 Montezuma Ave. Jurors and visitors are directed to use the Railyard Garage at 503 Camino de la Familia behind the REI store near Violet Crown. From the Railyard Garage, walk north, turn east on Montezuma, continue about three blocks, and the courthouse is on the north side of the street. The court estimates about 15 minutes of walking plus 10 minutes for security screening.
The courthouse location is downtown near the Railyard area and several blocks west of the historic Plaza. Visitors should confirm current garage rates with the City of Santa Fe before arrival. The court also links ADA and accommodation resources through New Mexico Courts, and the Self Help Center can provide forms and procedural information, though staff cannot give legal advice or tell a litigant how to complete a form.
The court parking instructions are shown in the First Judicial District parking source.
The parking source is useful for hearing-day planning because screening and walking time can affect check-in for dockets and court appearances.