San Miguel District Court
New Mexico uses District Courts as courts of general jurisdiction. San Miguel County is part of the Fourth Judicial District, which also serves Mora and Guadalupe counties. The San Miguel County District Courthouse is in Las Vegas and is the local court for civil cases, felony criminal cases, domestic relations, juvenile matters, mental health matters, administrative and lower-court appeals, miscellaneous civil jurisdiction, and contested estates.
District Court is not the same as Magistrate Court or Municipal Court. Magistrate Court handles smaller civil claims, landlord-tenant matters, misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic violations, and felony preliminary hearings. Municipal Court handles municipal ordinance cases, petty misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, and traffic matters without jury trials. Probate Court handles informal and uncontested estates, while contested probate moves to District Court.
The Fourth Judicial District judge roster is published on the official Judges page.
The judge roster is the source for San Miguel District Court divisions, staff contacts, and judge-specific phone paths.
San Miguel District Divisions
The Las Vegas courthouse lists three Fourth Judicial District divisions. All three judge listings show the same courthouse address. The judge-specific office hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and closed during lunch, while the public courthouse contact page lists the San Miguel District Courthouse public hours as Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and open during lunch. Use the public counter hours for counter visits and the division contacts for proposed text or chambers routing.
| Division | Judge | Staff / Monitor | Phone / Email | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division I | Michael A. Aragon | TCAA Leighann Roybal; Court Monitor Jordan Ramirez | 505-425-7131 or 505-425-7281 option 4 then option 2; lveddiv1proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov | 496 W. National Ave., Las Vegas, NM 87701 |
| Division II | Abigail P. Aragon | TCAA Stephanie Montoya | 505-425-3900 or 505-425-7281 option 4 then option 3; lveddiv2proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov | 496 W. National Ave., Las Vegas, NM 87701 |
| Division III | Flora Gallegos, Chief Judge | TCAA Charlynne Otero; Court Monitor Samantha Armijo | 505-425-9352 or 505-425-7281 option 4 then option 1; lveddiv3proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov | 496 W. National Ave., Las Vegas, NM 87701 |
San Miguel Court Addresses
The main District Court address comes from the Fourth Judicial District location and contact page. The same source lists the Magistrate Courthouse. County Clerk and Probate addresses are county-government offices nearby, not state court clerk offices. Municipal Court is listed separately by New Mexico Municipal Courts and the City of Las Vegas.
San Miguel County District Courthouse
496 West National Ave.
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-425-7281
Fax 505-454-8611
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; open during lunch
San Miguel Magistrate Courthouse
1927 Seventh St.
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-425-5204
Fax 505-425-0422
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
San Miguel Court Hierarchy
New Mexico's court hierarchy begins with the Supreme Court, then the Court of Appeals, then District Courts, Magistrate Courts, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, Municipal Courts, and Probate Courts. San Miguel County District Court cases may move into the appellate structure after a final order or qualifying appeal. The Court of Appeals generally handles civil, non-capital criminal, and juvenile appeals, while the Supreme Court has mandatory and discretionary jurisdiction in higher-level matters.
For a local user, the practical path is simpler: identify the issuing court first. A felony, divorce, contested estate, juvenile, or major civil case usually points to District Court. A small civil, landlord-tenant, misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, traffic, or felony preliminary matter may point to Magistrate Court. A municipal ordinance or city traffic matter may point to Municipal Court. An informal uncontested estate points to Probate Court.
| Court / Office | Role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| District Court | General-jurisdiction trial court; civil, felony, family, juvenile, mental health, appeals, contested probate | 496 West National Ave., Las Vegas | 505-425-7281 |
| Magistrate Court | Limited civil, landlord-tenant, misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, traffic, felony preliminary hearings | 1927 Seventh St., Las Vegas | 505-425-5204 |
| Las Vegas Municipal Court | Municipal ordinance, petty misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, and traffic cases | 727 Grand Ave., Las Vegas | 505-425-9403 |
| Probate Court | Informal and uncontested probate | 500 W. National Ave., Suite 302, Las Vegas | 505-426-3037 |
District vs Lower Courts
Lower courts matter because many San Miguel County records start outside District Court. A criminal case may begin in Magistrate Court for a first appearance or preliminary hearing before moving to District Court. A traffic case may stay in Magistrate or Municipal Court. An estate may begin as informal probate in Probate Court and move to District Court only if it becomes contested.
| District Court | Magistrate Court | Municipal Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil scope | General civil jurisdiction and appeals | Tort, contract, and landlord-tenant matters from $0-$10,000 | Municipal ordinance-related matters |
| Criminal scope | Felony cases, exclusive criminal appeals, and related matters | Misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic, and felony preliminary hearings | Petty misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic, and ordinance cases |
| Jury trials | Yes | Yes | No jury trials |
| Family / juvenile | Domestic relations and exclusive juvenile jurisdiction | Not the main family or juvenile court | No general family or juvenile jurisdiction |
San Miguel Case Movement
Case movement depends on the case type. A felony charge may start with arrest, first appearance, bond, and preliminary steps in Magistrate Court before prosecution continues in District Court by information or indictment. A civil case begins with a petition or complaint, then moves through answer, motions, discovery, settlement work, trial or judgment, and appeal. A divorce begins in District Court where a spouse resides, and a response is due within 30 days after service under New Mexico self-help guidance.
Criminal flow: Arrest › Magistrate first appearance or preliminary hearing › information or indictment › District Court arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › disposition and sentence › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition › service › answer › motions › discovery › settlement or mediation › trial or order › judgment › appeal.
Self-represented litigants may use New Mexico Courts Guide & File court documents to prepare some forms before filing in person.
Guide & File is a form-preparation path, while filing and case records still route through the court system.
San Miguel District Records
District Court records may be searched through Case Lookup, re:SearchNM, Odyssey Public Access, or the District Courthouse. Public search is strongest for case metadata and docket-style details. Document access may require re:SearchNM registration or a court request. Certified copies must come from the court, not from a screenshot of a public search result.
Fourth Judicial District fees include civil and probate cases at $132.00, new and reopened domestic cases at $137.00, magistrate civil appeals at $132.00, magistrate criminal appeals at $35.00, municipal appeals at $20.00, photocopies at $0.35 per page, certified copies at $1.50 per pleading, and exemplified copies at $4.50 per pleading. The court fee page also lists fax filing at 505-454-8611 and accepted payment forms of cash, cashier's checks, money orders, and in-state attorney checks; it states the court does not accept personal checks or credit cards at the counter.
Note: The District Court page did not publish San Miguel-specific parking, security-screening, public-transit, or ADA entrance details.
State and Federal Courts
San Miguel County District Court is a New Mexico state court. Federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and appellate records use different courts and different systems. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico handles federal trial matters statewide, and the Albuquerque federal courthouse is one of its public courthouse locations.
The U.S. District Court for New Mexico home page appears at nmd.uscourts.gov.
Federal cases should be searched through federal systems such as PACER, not the San Miguel County District Court counter.
The Albuquerque federal courthouse information is published by the U.S. District Court Albuquerque courthouse page.
That federal courthouse is separate from the San Miguel County District Courthouse in Las Vegas.
Federal appeals from the District of New Mexico go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
The Tenth Circuit image belongs here because it marks the federal appellate route, not the state Court of Appeals route.