New Mexico
New Mexico’s highest court is the New Mexico Supreme Court. The court has four justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is appointed according to the same procedures as the associate justices. (Source: New Mexico Constitution)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints New Mexico Supreme Court justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. An appointed justice must compete in a partisan election during the first general election after appointment. If elected, the justice serves the remainder of the seat’s eight-year term. At the end of that term, justices may stand in an unopposed yes/no retention vote. If retained by at least 57 percent affirmative votes, the justice serves another eight-year term. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. An appointed justice serves until the next general election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat in a partisan election. The elected judge serves the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
New Mexico’s first and only state constitution was adopted in 1911. As of January 1, 2024, it had 177 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
SCOTUS’s 2nd Amendment Decision Leaves Open Questions for State Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the disarmament of a domestic abuser in United States v. Rahimi, but litigation over where to draw the line will continue.
Three U.S. Supreme Court Cases that Transformed State Judicial Elections
Judicial elections have become major political battlegrounds — complete with dark money, special interests, and attack ads — thanks to several U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
Every State Supreme Court Justice in One Searchable Database
A new resource from the State Law Research Initiative lets users sort the nation’s high court justices by state, professional background, party affiliation, and more.
Legislative Efforts to Abolish Qualified Immunity Yield Mixed Results
Colorado and New Mexico have enacted laws to hold police and other officials accountable for state constitutional violations, while other states have broadened immunities.
New Findings Highlight Lack of Diversity on State Supreme Courts
More data and further scholarship is needed to devise policies for promoting a state bench that adequately represents the varied background of the public.
Scholarship Roundup: End of Semester Edition
Recent articles address states taking policy questions away from courts, standing in election cases, and state shadow dockets.
The Sorry State of Disclosure for State Supreme Court Justices
A new study reveals that disclosures by state supreme court justices are frequently hard to access and lack relevant financial information.
State Equal Rights Amendments Can Protect Reproductive Rights Post-Dobbs
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that a Medicaid ban on abortion is sex discrimination under the state’s ERA.