Joshua A. Allison
Presiding Civil Court Judge
Division: XXIII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Mary
Phone: 505-841-7529
Email: albddiv23proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Britt M. Baca
Division: XX
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Michelle
Phone: 505-841-7562
Email: albddiv20proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Baca was appointed on February 2, 2021, to Division XX of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Baca hears criminal matters, expungement cases, and presides over the DWI Specialty Court Program.
Denise Barela-Shepherd
Division: XVIII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Danielle
Phone: 505-841-7534
Email: albddiv18proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Biography: Judge Barela-Shepherd has been a District Court Judge since December 2003. She has the unique experience in presiding over both criminal and civil law cases. She currently presides over civil law cases. She previously presided over all phases of criminal law cases ranging from misdemeanor to 1st-Degree felony offenses.
Judge Barela-Shepherd has served as the Chairman of the District Court Security Committee since 2005, which develops and oversees security issues and concerns involving the Court. She was previously appointed by the NM Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Statewide Court Security Committee. Judge Barela-Shepherd is a long-time standing member of the Bench Bar Media Committee, which serves as a liason between the Judiciary and the Media.
Judge Barela-Shepherd is a native New Mexican. She received her high school diploma from Valley High School, her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Texas Tech University, and her Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico.
Catherine Begaye
Division: VIII
Location: Children’s Court
TCAA: Elisha
Phone: 505-222-4550
Email: albddiv8proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Children’s Court Judges
Biography: Judge Catherine Begaye was appointed to the bench January 2021.
Beatrice J. Brickhouse
Division: IV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Bobbi Jo
Phone: 505-841-7517
Email: albddiv4proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Amber Chavez Baker
Division: XXII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Kimberly
Phone: 505-841-6778
Email: albddiv22proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Family Court Judges
Lisa Chavez Ortega
Division: XIII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Mychele
Phone: 505-841-7494
Email: albddiv13proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Biography: Judge Lisa Ortega graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1997 and enjoyed a civil litigation practice for more than twenty years before taking the bench. Her law practice focused on personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout the state including those involving product liability, premises liability, and general negligence.
On March 15, 2019, she was appointed to Division XIII of the Second Judicial District Court by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Judge Ortega serves in the Civil Division.
Bruce Fox
Division: X
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Jeanneth
Phone: 505-841-7512
Email: albddiv10proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Fox was appointed February 8, 2021, to Division X of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Fox hears criminal matters, expungement cases, and presides over the Mental Health Court Program. Prior to being appointed to the Second Judicial District Court he was Chief Judge for the Pueblo of Laguna. Judge Fox also serves on the NM Supreme Court Commission on Mental Health and Competency.
Nancy J. Franchini
Division: V
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Thomas
Phone: 505-841-7522
Email: albddiv5proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Diana Garcia
Division XIX
Location: Children’s Court
TCAA: Bianca
Phone: 505-841-7537
Email: albddiv19proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Children’s Court Judges
Gerard Lavelle
Division: XI
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Julio
Phone: 505-841-7574
Email: albddiv11proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Family Court Judges
Biography: Prior to being appointed to the Family Court bench in January 2009, Judge Lavelle practiced Family Law for 28 years. Judge Lavelle has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars on Family Law issues locally and nationally. Judge Lavelle has served for many years as a judge at Mock Trials for both high school and middle school students.
Cindy Leos
Division: IX
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Nicole
Phone: 505-841-7480
Email: albddiv9proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Leos was elected November 8, 2016 to Division 9 of the Second Judicial District Court. In 2017 Judge Leos helped to create and currently presides over the Young Adult Court Program.
Jane Levy
Presiding Family Court Judge
Division: XXV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Amber
Phone: 505-222-4566
Email: albddiv25proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Family Court Judges
Victor Lopez
Division: XXVII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Rachel
Phone: 505-841-7454
Email: albddiv27proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Biography: Judge Lopez was first sworn-in as a District Court Judge in December 2014. He has been licensed to practice for over 31 years. In his practice, he was responsible for a wide variety of civil and administrative law cases. He served as a Workers’ Compensation Judge for six (6) years, as a disciplinary board hearing officer, and recently as a DWI hearing officer. Judge Lopez currently seeks to administer justice fairly and promptly in a wide variety of civil cases for the Second Judicial District Court.
Brett R. Loveless
Presiding Criminal Court Judge
Division: III
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Melissa
Phone: 505-841-7499
Email: albddiv3proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Elaine P. Lujan
Division: XII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Charlene
Phone: 505-841-7434
Email: albddiv12proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Biography: Judge Lujan is proudly from Albuquerque’s South Valley where her family owned and operated a small family-run business. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and her Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Judge Lujan was appointed to the civil bench in 2021. Prior to her appointment, she served as a Law Clerk to Justice Edward L. Chávez at the New Mexico Supreme Court, as an Assistant Attorney General in Civil Affairs at the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, and as a Civil Staff Attorney at the Second Judicial District Court.
Joseph Montano
Division: XXVI
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Jeff
Phone: 505-222-4570
Email: albddiv26proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Montano was appointed on February 2, 2021, to Division XXVI of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Montano hears criminal matters, competency matters, and presides over the Young Adult Court Program.
Clara Moran
Division: XXVIII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Alec
Phone: 505-841-7418
Email: albddiv28proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
David Murphy
Division: XXX
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Andrea
Phone: 505-841-5486
Email: albddiv30proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Erin B. O’Connell
Division: XVII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Heather
Phone: 505-841-7531
Email: albddiv17proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Biography: Judge O’Connell was appointed to the civil bench in February 2019. She is Co-Chair of the Second Judicial District Court Pro Bono Committee, and is Co-Chair of the New Mexico Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. Judge O’Connell is committed to facilitating and expanding access to civil legal services to New Mexicans in need across Bernalillo County and the State.
Judge O’Connell graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law. She was a law clerk for two years for Justice Charles W. Daniels of the New Mexico Supreme Court. Following her clerkship, and until appointed to the bench, she was in private practice as a trial and appellate lawyer. Judge O’Connell is an active supporter of the Second Judicial District Court’s judicial clerkship program, which affords law students the opportunity to serve as a law clerk with Judge O’Connell and to experience working with all divisions of the Court.
William Parnall
Division: I
Location: Children’s Court
TCAA: Julie
Phone: 505-841-7603
Email: albddiv1proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Children’s Court Judges
Biography: Judge Parnall was appointed to the Children’s Court Division of the Court in November of 2007 after a 30-year practice as a trial attorney in Criminal and Juvenile Defense and Personal Injury. He was appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court as Co-Chair of the New Mexico Tribal/State Judicial Consortium and still serves on that committee. The purpose of the Consortium is to foster strong relationships between Tribal and State judges throughout New Mexico. Judge Parnall recently created a Family Reunification Drug Court in the Second Judicial District which provides extra support for families torn apart by drug and alcohol addiction. The goal of the program is to accomplish early reunification when in the best interest of children in order to avoid the trauma of separation from their families in prolonged foster placement.
Daniel E. Ramczyk
Division: VI
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Audra
Phone: 505-841-7484
Email: albddiv6proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Biography: Judge Daniel E. Ramczyk practiced law for twenty years, both in the private and government sectors. He was appointed to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in 2003 and handled both criminal and civil dockets. He served on several of the specialty courts and was appointed the first Chairperson of the Metropolitan Court Rules Committee in 2006 and served until 2012.
He resigned from Metropolitan Court when he was appointed to the Second Judicial District Court in February 2019, Criminal Division.
Judge Ramczyk graduated from the UNM School of Law in 1983 and was admitted to the New Mexico State Bar later that year.
Debra Ramirez
Division: XXIV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Maria
Phone: 505-841-7476
Email: albddiv24proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Family Court Judges
Alma C. Roberson
Presiding Children’s Court Judge
Division: VII
Location: Children’s Court
TCAA: Natasha
Phone: 505-841-7311
Email: albddiv7proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Children’s Court Judges
Biography: Judge Alma Cristina Roberson was born in the border town of El Paso, Texas to immigrant parents from Mexico. She moved to Albuquerque in 2009 to attend the University of New Mexico School of Law. She graduated in 2012 and started soon after as an attorney in the Metro Division of the Law Offices of the Public Defender. In 2015, she moved to the Juvenile Division of LOPD where she found her true passion, working with children and their families.
As part of her advocacy, Judge Roberson served as a board member for Bernalillo County’s Reducing Racism and Ethnic Disparities Committee for two years. Currently, Judge Roberson serves on the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court National Project Advisory Board for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
Emeterio L. Rudolfo
Division: XXI
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Darian
Phone: 505-841-6748
Email: albddiv21proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Lucy Solimon
Division: XXIX
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Colleen
Phone: 505-841-7430
Email: albddiv29proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Solimon was appointed on July 27, 2020, to Division XXIX of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Solimon hears criminal matters and presides over the Mental Health Court Program. She also serves on the Committee for Diversity in the Legal Profession.
Marie Ward
Chief Judge
Division: XIV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Matthew
Phone: 505-841-7392
Email: albddiv14proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Civil Court Judges
Courtney B. Weaks
Division: XV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Grizell
Phone: 505-841-7474
Email: albddiv15proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Weaks was appointed January 24, 2020, to Division XV of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Weaks hears criminal matters and presides over the Veteran’s Specialty Court Program. Prior to being appointed to the Second Judicial District Court, Judge Weaks was a Metropolitan Court Judge where she served as the Presiding Judge of Metropolitan Court’s Specialty Court Program, the Behavioral Health Court Program, and the Early Intervention Program.
Jennifer J. Wernersbach
Division: XVI
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Katrina
Phone: 505-841-7515
Email: albddiv16proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Stan Whitaker
Division: II
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Sonja
Phone: 505-841-7521
Email: albddiv2proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Group: Criminal Court Judges
Biography: Judge Whitaker was appointed July 6, 2006, to Division II of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Whitaker is the senior judge in the Criminal Division. He hears criminal matters and competency matters. Judge Whitaker served as Chief Judge of the Second Judicial District Court from 2018-2021.