The New Mexico Genealogical Society

New Mexico Genealogical Society

| Home | Programs || NMGS Books | Membership |Contact Us | NMGS BLOG

New Mexico Judicial Districts and Their Counties

Chart by Al Perrin

from District Courts in New Mexico Territory, as published in the New Mexico Genealogist, September 1996; with additional information June 1999.

* Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Ana, Santa Fe, Taos and Valencia counties were original Mexican partidos at the time of the American occupation in 1846. The dates indicated on this chart are the years they became U.S. Territorial counties. The top (header) row lists the District Courts by date established. The row is repeated further down in the list for the reader's convenience.

‡ In 1847 the General Assembly of the Territory of New Mexico passed an "Act Regulating the Holding of Circuit Courts." Three circuits were established: The Central, the Northern, and the Southeastern. In 1851 the Territorial Assembly approved an act dividing New Mexico into three judicial districts: First (previously the Central Circuit), Second (previously the Northern Circuit), and Third (previously the Southeastern Circuit). Those were followed by the Fourth through Thirteenth Judicial Districts, as shown below.

District Court =>	1 ‡ 1847	2 ‡ 1847	3 ‡ 1847	4 1887	5 1889	6 1904	7 1909	8 1912	9 1921	10 1950	11 1961	12 1971	13 1971
Bernalillo* 1852		1863- present	1847- 1863
Catron 1921							1921- present
Chaves 1889					1889- present
Cibola 1981													1981- present
Colfax 1869	1869- 1887			1887- 1912				1912- present
Curry 1909					1909- 1921				1921- present
De Baca 1917					1917- 1921				1921- 1950	1950- present
Doña Ana 1852			1852- present
Eddy 1889					1889- present
Grant 1868			1868- 1912			1912- present
Guadalupe 1891 (Named Leonard Wood: 1903-1905)				1891- 1904, 1912- present		1904- 1912
Guadalupe 1891 (Named Leonard Wood: 1903-1905)				1891- 1904, 1912- present		1904- 1912
District Court =>	1 ‡ 1847	2‡ 1847	3‡ 1847	4 1887	5 1889	6 1904	7 1909	8 1912	9 1921	10 1950	11 1961	12 1971	13 1971
Harding 1921								1921- 1950		1950- present
Hidalgo 1919						1919- present
Lea 1917					1917- present
Lincoln 1869		1869- 1887	1912- 1971	1887- 1889	1889- 1904	1904- 1912						1971- present
LosAlamos 1949	1949- present
Luna 1901			1901- 1912			1912- present
McKinley 1899	1921- 1961	1899- 1921									1961- present
Mora 1860	1860- 1887			1887- present
Otero 1899			1899- 1904, 1912- 1971			1904- 1912						1971- present
Quay 1903				1903-1904		1904- 1912		1912- 1921	1921- 1950	1950- present
District Court =>	1 ‡ 1847	2‡ 1847	3‡ 1847	4 1887	5 1889	6 1904	7 1909	8 1912	9 1921	10 1950	11 1961	12 1971	13 1971
Rio Arriba* 1852	1863- present	1847- 1863
Roosevelt 1903					1903- 1921				1921- present
San Juan 1887	1887- 1961										1961- present
San Miguel* 1852	1847- 1887			1887- present
Sandoval 1903		1903- 1971											1971- present
*Santa Ana** 1852- 1876	1847- 1863	1863- 1876	Absorbed by Bernalillo County -- does not exist today.
Santa Fe* 1852*	1847- present
Sierra 1884		1884- 1889	1889- 1909				1909- present
Socorro 1852		1863- 1889	1851- 1863, 1904- 1909		1889- 1904		1909- present
Taos* 1852	1863- 1912	1847- 1863						1912- present
Torrance 1903	1909- 1912	1903- 1904	1912- 1941			1904- 1909	1941- present
Union 1893				1893- 1912				1912- present
Valencia* 1852		1863- 1909, 1941- 1971	1847-1863				1909-1941						1971- present

Additional References:

Laws Passed by the General Assembly of the Territory of New Mexico, Session of December 1847.
Laws of New Mexico.
New Mexico Blue Book, compiled and published by the Office of the Secretary of State, Santa Fe, NM.

Return to article: District Courts in New Mexico Territory

sunset
Patricia Black Esterly, Web Editor

New Mexico Genealogical Society
PO Box 27559
Albuquerque, NM 87125-7559
USA