U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Tenth Circuit, which reviews its decisions on appeal. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former, with who appointed them and whom they succeeded.
| Judge | Appointed by | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Martha Alicia Vázquez | Clinton (D) | 1993 |
| M. Christina Armijo | Bush (R) | 2001 |
| William Paul Johnson | Bush (R) | 2001 |
| Robert C. Brack | Bush (R) | 2003 |
| James O. Browning | Bush (R) | 2003 |
| Judith C. Herrera | Bush (R) | 2004 |
| Kenneth John Gonzales | Obama (D) | 2013 |
| Kea Whetzal Riggs | Trump (R) | 2019 |
| Margaret Irene Strickland | Biden (D) | 2021 |
| David Herrera Urias | Biden (D) | 2022 |
| Matthew Lane Garcia | Biden (D) | 2023 |
| Sarah Morgan Davenport | Biden (D) | 2025 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce D. Black | Clinton (D) | 1995–2017 |
| Curtis LeRoy Hansen | Bush (R) | 1992–2023 |
| James Aubrey Parker | Reagan (R) | 1987–2022 |
| John Edwards Conway | Reagan (R) | 1986–2014 |
| Bobby Ray Baldock | Reagan (R) | 1983–1986 |
| Juan Guerrero Burciaga | Carter (D) | 1979–1995 |
| Santiago E. Campos | Carter (D) | 1978–2001 |
| Edwin Leard Mechem | Nixon (R) | 1970–2002 |
| Howard C. Bratton | Johnson (D) | 1964–2002 |
| Harry Vearle Payne | Kennedy (D) | 1963–1983 |
| Waldo Henry Rogers | Eisenhower (R) | 1954–1964 |
| Carl A. Hatch | Truman (D) | 1949–1963 |
| Orie Leon Phillips | Harding (R) | 1923–1929 |
| Colin Neblett | Wilson (D) | 1917–1950 |
| William Hayes Pope | Taft (R) | 1912–1916 |
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1912.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.