List of justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court

Following is a list of justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court:

Current justices

Justice Born Political party Tenure began Term ends[a] Chief Appointing governor Law school
C. Shannon Bacon, Chief Justice 1971 or 1972 (age 53–54)[1] Democratic February 4, 2019 2026 2022–2024 Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) Creighton
Michael E. Vigil (1951-05-23) May 23, 1951 Democratic January 1, 2019 2025 2020–2022 n/a Georgetown
David K. Thomson 1968 or 1969 (age 56–57)[1] Democratic February 4, 2019 2026 2024-Present Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) Denver
Julie J. Vargas 1968 or 1969 (age 56–57) Democratic January 25, 2021 2028 — Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) New Mexico
Briana Zamora 1973 or 1974 (age 51–52) Democratic August 9, 2021 2030 – Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) New Mexico
  1. ^ Terms end on December 31.

Source: Court Information & History, retrieved July 18, 2025.

Former justices

Justice Began
service		 Ended
service		 Notes
Joseph F. Baca January 1, 1989 July 31, 2002
Richmond P. Barnes September 25, 1922 November 7, 1922 Defeated for reelection.
Howard L. Bickley January 1, 1925 March 4, 1947 Died in office.
Richard C. Bosson January 1, 2003 October 30, 2015 Retired.
Clarence M. Botts December 26, 1922 December 31, 1924 Not nominated for reelection.
Sam G. Bratton January 1, 1923 September 16, 1924 Resigned.
Charles R. Brice January 1, 1935 December 31, 1950 Retired.
David W. Carmody January 1, 1959 April 30, 1969 Retired.
Charles C. Catron March 15, 1929 December 31, 1930 Not nominated for reelection.
David Chávez January 11, 1960 December 31, 1968 Retired.
Edward L. Chávez March 7, 2003 March 9, 2018 Appointed by Governor Richardson January 1, 2003 (sworn in March 7) to complete Gene E. Franchini's term ending December 31, 2006; elected in 2004; won retention in 2006; won retention in 2014. Retired March 2018.
Gary L. Clingman April 30, 2018 December 28, 2018 Defeated for election
James C. Compton April 1, 1947 December 31, 1972 Retired after he lost his 1972 primary election.
Henry G. Coors January 1, 1951 July 8, 1953 Retired.
Charles W. Daniels January 1, 2007 December 31, 2018 Retired.
Stephen B. Davis Jr. November 1, 1921 September 25, 1922 Resigned.
Mack Easley July 1, 1976 September 30, 1982 Retired.
William R. Federici April 15, 1977 December 31, 1986 Retired.
Edwin L. Felter August 16, 1979 December 31, 1980 Retired.
Tomlinson Fort September 19, 1924 December 31, 1924 Not nominated for reelection.
Gene E. Franchini November 30, 1990 December 31, 2002 Term ended.
Stanley F. Frost November 8, 1991 May 31, 1996 Retired.
Richard H. Hanna January 10, 1912 November 7, 1918 Defeated for reelection.
Andrew H. Hudspeth January 1, 1931
April 1, 1946		 December 31, 1938
December 31, 1946		 Not nominated for reelection.
Term ended.
Paul J. Kennedy September 13, 2002 December 20, 2002 Resigned.
Henry A. Kiker December 16, 1954 March 25, 1958 Died.
Charles B. Larrabee July 11, 1989 November 7, 1989 Resigned.
Eugene D. Lujan January 1, 1945 December 31, 1959 Retired.
Thomas J. Mabry January 1, 1939 March 28, 1946 Resigned.
Petra Jimenez Maes January 1, 1998 December 31, 2018 Retired.
Joe L. Martínez January 1, 1973 July 23, 1975 Resigned.
James C. McGhee January 1, 1947 August 1, 1960 Retired.
Thomas F. McKenna April 6, 1970 December 31, 1970 Defeated in primary.
Dan A. McKinnon III July 15, 1996
April 21, 1997		 December 6, 1996
December 6, 1998		 Resigned after defeat for reelection.
Resigned after failing to be renominated in primary.
John B. McManus Jr. January 1, 1971 July 6, 1979 Died in office.
Pamela B. Minzner December 2, 1994 August 31, 2007 Died in office.
Irwin S. Moise May 16, 1959 March 31, 1970 Retired.
Seth D. Montgomery September 5, 1989 October 27, 1994 Resigned.
Samuel Z. Montoya July 1, 1971 December 31, 1976 Retired.
Judith Nakamura December 11, 2015 December 1, 2020 Retired.
Tom W. Neal November 15, 1932 December 31, 1932 Served brief appointment.
Merrill E. Noble August 1, 1960 November 13, 1969 Died in office.
LaFel E. Oman January 1, 1971 March 31, 1977 Retired.
Frank W. Parker January 10, 1912 August 3, 1932 Died in office.
H. Vern Payne January 1, 1977 December 1, 1983 Retired.
Richard E. Ransom January 1, 1987 February 7, 1997 Retired.
Herbert F. Raynolds January 1, 1919 December 26, 1922 Resigned.
William F. Riordan January 1, 1981 December 31, 1986 Term ended.
Clarence J. Roberts January 10, 1912 January 21, 1921 Resigned.
Daniel K. Sadler January 1, 1931 May 15, 1959 Retired.
Tony Scarborough January 1, 1987 July 5, 1989 Resigned.
Patricio M. Serna December 5, 1996 August 31, 2012 Retired.
Augustus T. Seymour July 8, 1953 December 15, 1954 Retired after defeat for reelection.
W. Morris Shillinglaw April 7, 1958 January 1, 1959 Defeated.
John F. Simms Sr. March 15, 1929 December 31, 1930 Not nominated for reelection.
Daniel A. Sisk January 5, 1970 December 31, 1970 Defeated in primary.
Dan Sosa Jr. July 22, 1975 September 30, 1991 Retired.
Donnan Stephenson January 1, 1971 June 30, 1976 Retired.
Harry E. Stowers Jr. December 3, 1982 May 31, 1989 Retired.
Paul Tackett January 1, 1969 January 30, 1971 Retired.
Martin A. Threet June 1, 1943 July 15, 1944 Resigned.
Barbara J. Vigil November 6, 2012 June 30, 2021 Retired.
Mary Coon Walters January 13, 1984 December 31, 1988 Retired.
John C. Watson January 1, 1925 December 31, 1934 Defeated for reelection; ran again unsuccessfully in 1936.
John T. Watson May 29, 1969 December 31, 1970 Defeated in primary.
Kenneth B. Wilson December 29, 1989 November 30, 1990 Resigned after defeat for reelection.
A. L. Zinn January 1, 1933 May 31, 1943 Resigned.

Territorial justices

The Territory New Mexico was initially divided into three judicial districts, with additional districts added over time.[2]

Justice Began
service		 Ended
service		 Notes
Joab Houghton 1846
1865		 1851
1869		 First District
Third District
Grafton Baker 1851 1853 First District
James J. Deavenport 1853 1858 First District
Kirby Benedict 1853
1858		 1858
1866		 Third District
First District
John P. Slough 1866 1868 First District
John Sebrie Watts 1851
1868		 1857
1869		 Second District
First District
Joseph G. Palen 1869 1876 First District
Henry L. Waldo 1876 1878 First District
Charles McCandless 1878 1879 First District
L. Bradford Prince 1879 1882 First District
Samuel Beach Axtell 1882 1885 First District
Reuben A. Reeves 1887 1889 First District
William H. Whiteman 1889 1890 First District
Edward P. Seeds 1890 1894 First District
Napoleon B. Laughlin 1894 1898 First District
John R. McFie 1898
1889		 1889
1893		 First District
Third District
Antonio Jose Otero 1846 1851 Second District
Perry E. Brocchus 1857
1867		 1859
1869		 Second District
W. F. Boon 1859 1861 Second District
Sydney A. Hubbell 1861 1867 Second District
Hezekiah Johnson 1870 1876 Second District
John I. Reddick 1876 1877 Second District
Samuel B. McLin 1877 1878 Second District
Samuel C. Parks 1878 1882 Second District
Joseph Bell 1882 1885 Second District
William H. Brinker 1885 1889 Second District
William D. Lee 1889 1893 Second District
Needham C. Collier 1893 1898 Second District
Jonathan W. Crumpacker 1898 1902 Second District
Benjamin S. Baker 1902 1904 Second District
Ira A. Abbott 1904 1912 Second District
Charles H. Beaubien 1846 1851 Third District
Horace Mower 1851 1853 Third District
William G. Blackwood 1858 1861 Third District
Joseph G. Knapp 1861 1865 Third District
Abram Bergen 1869 1870 Third District
Benjamin J. Waters 1870 1871 Third District
Daniel B. Johnson 1871 1872 Third District
Warren Bristol 1872 1884 Third District
Stephen Fowler Wilson 1884 1885 Third District
William F. Henderson 1885 1889 Third District
Albert B. Fall 1893 1895 Third District
Gideon D. Bantz 1895 1898 Third District
Frank W. Parker 1898 1912 Third District
Elisha V. Long 1889 1893 Fourth District
James O'Brien 1893 1893 Fourth District
Thomas J. Smith 1893 1898 Fourth District
William J. Mills 1898 1910 Fourth District
Clarence J. Roberts 1910 1912 Fourth District
Alfred A. Freeman 1890 1895 Fifth District
Humphrey B. Hamilton 1895 1898 Fifth District
Charles A. Leland 1898 1900 Fifth District
Daniel H. McMillan 1900 1903 Fifth District
William Hayes Pope 1903 1912 Fifth District
Edward A. Mann 1904 1909 Sixth District
Alford W. Cooley 1909 1910 Sixth District
Edward R. Wright 1910 1912 Sixth District
Merritt C. Mechem 1909 1912 Seventh District

References

  1. ^ a b "State Supreme Court candidates at a glance". Santa Fe New Mexican. May 26, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Anderson, George B. (1907). History of New Mexico: its resources and people. Vol. 1. Los Angeles: Pacific States Pub. Co. OCLC 1692911.
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