CORONAVIRUS & THE COURTS: UPDATE
New Mexico courts have implemented measures to minimize public health risks from coronavirus (COVID-19) for those who visit or work in courthouses.
On March 11, Supreme Court Chief Justice Judith K. Nakamura announced that state courts – district, magistrate, metropolitan and appellate courts – will remain open for business to ensure courts fulfill their constitutional and statutory duties.
“The Judiciary’s responsibility to ensure constitutional protections are available to those who need them has been especially important during difficult times in our history. We are working closely with state and local governments and taking steps to ensure that courthouses are safe for jurors, litigants, lawyers, judicial employees, judges and all members of the public.” Chief Justice Nakamura said.
For additional information, please click here.
Detailed New Mexico Courts - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information can be found here.
Please scroll below for more information concerning our District's response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
District and Magistrate Courts in Grant, Hidalgo and Luna Counties to Resume Jury Trials
Click on press release for more information: Press Release
Access to the Court
Courthouses in the Sixth Judicial District will remain open during regular court business hours. However, individuals will be required to answer the following screening questions to determine if entry to court facilities will be allowed:
COVID-19 Screening Questions English
COVID-19 Screening Questions Spanish
If your business with the court is not urgent, please contact the department you were planning to visit by telephone. If you have a scheduled appointment or are otherwise required to appear at one of the courthouses, please contact the appropriate party prior to your scheduled appointment:
- If you are represented by an attorney, please contact your attorney.
- If you are not represented by an attorney and are required to appear in court, please contact the Judge's chambers to make arrangements to appear telephonically (contact information may be found under the Judges section to the left).
- If you are an attorney and are scheduled to appear in court before a judge, please contact the Judge's chambers to make arrangements to appear telephonically (contact information may be found under the Judges section to the left).
- If you are a juror, please contact the Jury Division (contact information for the respective Court may be found under Court Location, Business Hours & Contact Information section to the left).
- For other Court matters, please contact the Clerk’s Office (contact information for the respective Court may be found under Court Location, Business Hours & Contact Information section to the left).
For the latest information on the Coronavirus, visit the New Mexico Department of Health's website at https://cv.nmhealth.org/ or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website at https://www.cdc.gov.
Protective Face Coverings Required in NM Courthouses
Effective immediately, any person entering a New Mexico courthouse or judicial building must wear a mask or other protective face covering to help control the spread of COVID-19.
“State health officials have made it abundantly clear that if each of us wears a mask in public we can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” said Chief Justice Judith K. Nakamura. “Our courts provide essential services to the public so we continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard the health and well-being of people who work in or need to visit a courthouse.
Notice - Emailing and faxing of documents by self-represented litigants and attorneys
In response to the Coronavirus public health emergency, the Sixth Judicial District will be implementing an interim procedure for allowing the filing of documents by email or fax to reduce the requirement of self-represented litigants and attorneys to enter the courthouse to file documents. Self-represented litigants and attorneys are permitted to file documents via email or fax in those case types that are not eligible for electronic filing through File and Serve that meet the criteria listed in the notices linked below.
Notice - District Courts
Notice - Magistrate Courts
Helpful Information for Appearing by Video
How to Create a Google Account
Accepting Google Invitations and Joining Hearings
TIPS - Adding Grid-View Extension for Video Hearings
TIPS - Joining Audio by Phone for Video Hearings
Electronic Filing and Service Available for Criminal Cases!
Effective October 1st, 2019, electronic filing for all District courts will be available through the same File and Serve system used for Civil, Family and Probate eFiling. Electronic filing for Criminal cases is only available for subsequent filings.
Electronic filing and service will be available for Criminal cases at no charge. For more information, please see Rule 5-103.2.
Online Dispute Resolution - Solve Debt and Money Due Cases Online!
Online Dispute Resolution is a new, easy-to-use service for resolving debt and money due lawsuits. The online system offers a convenient alternative to appearing in court by allowing parties to negotiate through private online messages from any location with internet access.
Learn More