Bernalillo County is located in central New Mexico, within the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Established in 1852 and named after the town of Bernalillo, Bernalillo County has a population of approximately 676,000 residents and covers an area of about 3,023 square kilometers. The county seat is Albuquerque, the largest city in the county and the state. Bernalillo County is home to The University of New Mexico, a major public research university, and Kirtland Air Force Base, a prominent military installation that supports defense-related activities.

Courts in Bernalillo County

The Bernalillo County court system comprises District Courts, Metropolitan Courts, Probate Courts, and Municipal Courts. The 2nd Judicial District Court serves Bernalillo County and is the primary trial court with general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. The court also presides over family law and juvenile matters. Family Court cases include divorce, child custody and visitation, and child support. Juvenile cases handled by the court include juvenile delinquencies and child abuse lawsuits.

The Metropolitan Court has limited jurisdiction and presides over criminal cases such as DUI, traffic violations, and country and municipal ordinance violations. The Municipal Court handles petty misdemeanor and municipal ordinance violations such as zoning and animal control offenses. The Probate Court handles matters relating to administering a deceased estate, including guardianship appointments, wills, and trusts.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Bernalillo County

Public court records are papers from court proceedings publicly accessible to Bernalillo County residents. The New Mexico State Judiciary provides a Case Lookup web tool to view all public court records from the District, Magistrate, Municipal, and Probate Courts. In addition, record seekers may visit the courthouses to view and obtain copies of the court documents or mail written requests for the records.

Types of Public Court Records in Bernalillo County

Court records publicly available for inspection and copying by Bernalillo County residents include:

• Civil Court Records: Accessible civil court records include injunctions, contract breaches, boundary disputes, trademark infringement lawsuits, and labor disputes
• Criminal Court Records: They include homicide, arson, fraud, petty theft, and public intoxication court cases
• Probate Records: Administration of deceased estate such as wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and trusts
• Traffic Records: Traffic infraction cases such as illegal parking and speeding, and traffic violation cases such as reckless driving and DUI cases
• Family Law Records: Marriage dissolution and annulment records, child and spousal support cases, and child custody lawsuits

Confidential Court Records in Bernalillo County

Confidential court records are documents from judicial proceedings inaccessible to the general public. Confidential court records contain sensitive information and are sealed by a court order or federal or state law.  Only persons with special permissions from the courts may access confidential court documents. The following are confidential court records in Bernalillo County:

• Juvenile court records
• Medical and mental health records
• Grand jury proceedings
• Proprietary business information
• Drug and alcohol treatment information

Personal identifiers on a court document are confidential records. The courts redact this information to protect the identity and safety of the individuals named on the court document, especially minor victims. Therefore, personal identifying information such as financial account numbers, home addresses, birthdates, medical records, tax identification numbers, and Social Security numbers are confidential court records excluded from court records.

Juvenile Delinquency in Bernalillo, NM

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Bernalillo County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in New Mexico often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 1973 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Bernalillo County. Of that total, 99% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1950 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Bernalillo County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Bernalillo County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Bernalillo County, NM

http://www.newmexico.gov/

County Seat:	Albuquerque
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1852
Total Square Miles:	1,167
2019 Population:	676,773
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Bernalillo County, NM Courts