Bernalillo County District Court Case Search

In Bernalillo County, the Second Judicial District Court serves as the primary trial court. As such, district court records generally consist of courtroom events, documenting essential information on all legal proceedings for each case handled by the Court.

A typical District Court record features the names of the participants, case number, citation, case type, subject of dispute, claims, motions, arguments, allegations, defenses, and judgment.

The records of this court may be sought for various reasons. Attorneys often use them to buttress a legal opinion made before a judge. Citizens may check them to evaluate their chances of success if a similar issue goes to court. More commonly, they are cited to defend a claim or protect a personal or property right.

What Kinds of Cases Are heard in the Bernalillo District Court?

The District Court presides over a wide range of legal matters and is divided into several divisions to handle its caseload efficiently. The Civil Division handles probate, contract, torts, property damage, foreclosure, malpractice, civil restraining orders, personal injuries, driver's license restoration, name changes, criminal record expungement, and civil restraining orders. In comparison, the Children's Court handles child abuse and neglect, delinquency, adoption, and mental health, while the Domestic Relations Division handles divorce, custody, paternity, guardianship, and other cases. Other divisions include child support, criminal, and domestic violence divisions.

Other departments within the court run special programs. They include the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program, which aims to help patients suffering from severe mental illness with treatment and recovery. The Center for Self-Help and Dispute Resolution assists potential self-represented litigants and may recommend alternative methods of dispute resolution. Other departments and services include the Family Court, Felony Pretrial Services Program, Juvenile Treatment Court, Felony Repeat Offender DWI Court program, and more.

Bernalillo County District Court

The Bernalillo County District Court is a court of general jurisdiction. This means it can hear just about any legal matter within the County. Its position as a trial ensures that it presides over most of these disputes before any other court does. Due to the number of cases it handles daily, it is diversified into divisions to enhance its efficiency in managing these cases. Meanwhile, the court clerk manages its administrative functions, including the maintenance of records, dockets, and evidence, supervision of non-judicial personnel, scheduling cases, assisting with technical and managerial subjects, and more.

By serving as the primary forum for resolving disputes, the District Court plays a crucial role in the administration of justice, peace, and civility between individuals.

The District Court is located at:

Bernalillo County District Court – Children’s Court
John E. Brown Juvenile Justice Center
5100 Second St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107

Bernalillo County District Court – Downtown
400 Lomas Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102

Bernalillo County Case Lookup

Look up court cases by visiting the Second Judicial District Court website. The website provides access to records of all courts in Bernalillo County and the state in general. These include the New Mexico Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Court, Magistrate Court, and Municipal Court. To begin a search:

• Visit the Second Judicial District Court website.
• Click on "Case Lookup".
• Accept the terms to continue.
• Select the most suitable option according to the case-identifying particulars you know (the search field provides three different search options: name, case number, or DWI search).
• Fill out the search field accordingly.
• Click on the button below to facilitate a database query — the button will be labeled after the search option that was selected.

Note that the Municipal Court records accessible on this website are limited to criminal domestic violence and DWI historic convictions from September 1, 1991 onwards. Cases filed prior to June 1997 and juvenile criminal cases are also not available on the website. These cases are typically only available via direct request. In addition, users are limited to viewing images of these documents. The documents are not available for download.

Once the required document or recording is located, users can make a request by filling out the records request form and emailing it to the District Court Division that handled the case. Use the contact information below:

Domestic Relations Division
Phone: (505) 841-7421
Email: albdecopydm@nmcourts.gov

Child Support Division
Phone: (505) 841-6747

Domestic Violence Division
Phone: (505) 841-6737
Email: albd-dvfilings-grp@nmcourts.gov

Criminal Division
Phone: (505) 841-7444 or (505) 841-7542

Civil Division
Phone: (505) 841-7451
Email: albd-cvprosefilings-grp@nmcourts.gov

Children’s Court
Email: albdjjc@nmcourts.gov
Court Case Records Requests (X-Files)
Phone: (505) 841-5421
Request Court Hearing Audio Recordings (Special Services)
Phone: (505) 841-5421
Email: ssrequests@nmcourts.gov

Alternatively, an electronic request can be submitted through one of these fillable request forms. Select the appropriate form, fill it out, and click on the "Send a request button" at the bottom of the request page. To fill out the form, be prepared to provide case-identifying information such as the plaintiff or defendant's name, case number, the year the case was filed, and the case type, which could be criminal, divorce, or name change. Other required information includes personal identifying information such as the requester’s full name (including business, attorney, or government agency name), address, phone number, and email address.

These fees may apply:

• Copies – $0.35 per page
• Certification – $1.50 per document, plus copy charges
• Exemplification – $4.50 per document, plus copy charges
• Audio Records or Other Records Provided on CD – $4.00

Bernalillo District Court Case Search by Name

When making a request for court records, specifying the exact record being sought is crucial. A requester is expected to know and provide particulars that sufficiently identify the case. The District Court Judicial website includes the names of the parties, date of birth, driver's license information, case number, and other relevant information. These details help search engines filter the database and identify the record being sought. Consequently, it is crucial to ensure that the details provided are correct to prevent the search from falling through.

Bernalillo District Court Docket Search

Bernalillo County District court docket is an official schedule or log of all activities in a case or proceeding that is pending before the District Court. As a case progresses, dockets are chronologically updated to reflect the latest procedural developments, such as filings (e.g., complaints, motions, responses), scheduled hearings and court dates, orders, rulings, and judgments issued by the judge, notices, and other communications.

The unique functions court dockets provide are extremely helpful to individuals who have a stake in a case and are particularly interested in its outcome. Through docket inspection, individuals can find out information about the last hearing and future hearing schedule of a case.

To request the Second District Court’s docket, visit the Second Judicial District Court website

and click on Court hearing schedules. Click on Bernalillo County District Court to proceed to the District Court Docket page. Court hearings for that day and for the next six days are available for inspection.

Lookup Bernalillo County Bernalillo Court records are available online through the Bernalillo County District Court website. Individuals can look up cases by visiting the website and using the "case lookup" option. A request for these records can also be submitted online via email or through Fillable Request Forms.

Third-party sites like Newmexicocourtrecords.us may also provide online access to these records. While some websites typically exhaust care and diligence in providing error-free information, they make no representation that the documents provided will meet users' expectations. As a result, users should compare information obtained with official resources to be certain that the information meets the standard required for their purpose.

Supreme Court vs. District Court

Bernalillo County District Court is a trial court with jurisdiction to render verdicts in criminal cases and judgments in civil cases. However, it focuses on matters beyond the jurisdiction of lower courts, including the Magistrate and Municipal Courts. It also exercises appellate jurisdiction over appeals from these courts, while appeals from its own jurisdiction go to the Court of Appeals.

The New Mexico Supreme Court is the state's highest judicial authority and final appellate court, which oversees the entire New Mexico Judiciary. It has exclusive jurisdiction over capital appeals, Public Regulation Commission cases, and election disputes, as well as discretionary authority to review decisions from the Court of Appeals through writs of certiorari.

Its original jurisdiction includes issuing writs like mandamus, prohibition, and habeas corpus and exercising supervisory control over lower courts. However, because it is a state court established by the Constitution of the state of New Mexico, its jurisdiction is limited to state affairs. Consequently, it cannot preside over federal law issues but rather those issues within the domain of the US Supreme Court and other federal courts.