• Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, 110 Calle de Alegra, Las Cruces, NM 88005: (575) 524-2814
• Third Judicial District Court, 201 W. Picacho Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88005: main (575) 523-8200, clerk's office for case questions (575) 528-8316
• Third Judicial District Attorney, 845 N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces: (575) 524-6370
• Law Offices of the Public Defender, Las Cruces, 505 S. Main St., Suite 121: (575) 541-3193
• Las Cruces Municipal Court, 135 E. Griggs Ave.: (575) 541-2224

Adults are booked into the county detention center in Las Cruces. You can look up whether someone is being held with the Doña Ana County Inmate Search. A warrantless arrest has to be reviewed by a judge for probable cause within two days. After that, the person sees a magistrate judge, often by video from the jail, who reviews the charges and sets terms for release.

This court tries state misdemeanors, which range from DWI and shoplifting to domestic battery and driving without a license. Defendants may ask for a jury of six. It also hosts the first stages of felonies, such as first appearances and preliminary hearings. Cases under city law in Las Cruces, Sunland Park, Mesilla, Anthony and Hatch may go to those municipal courts instead.

A prosecutor who believes a felony defendant is too dangerous to release files a motion for pretrial detention. Article II, Section 13, as amended by voters in 2016, puts the burden on the state: it must show by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions could reasonably protect anyone. The district court must start the hearing within five days. People who are not ordered detained receive conditions instead, and they cannot be held just because they are too poor to pay a bond.

After the complaint is filed, the district attorney decides between a grand jury and a preliminary hearing. The preliminary hearing has a 10-day limit when the accused is jailed and a 60-day limit when the accused is free. An indictment or bindover moves the case to the Third Judicial District Court, where the defendant is arraigned and enters a plea. The case then works through discovery, motion hearings and settlement talks, and the district also runs treatment courts for some eligible people.

Apply at the Las Cruces public defender office on South Main Street on any weekday before 4:30 p.m., or ask about it at the first court appearance. The office reviews income and the charge to decide eligibility. When it can't take a case, a contract lawyer is appointed.

Felony trials are decided by 12 jurors who must all agree. Basic New Mexico terms range from a year and a half at the bottom felony level up to 18 years at the top, while a capital felony means life. Using a gun or having prior felonies can increase the term. A misdemeanor is capped at 364 days in jail.

Appeals from magistrate court go to the Third Judicial District Court and must be filed within 15 days. Appeals from the district court go to the New Mexico Court of Appeals, where the notice is due 30 days after the judgment is filed.

Because the county sits on the border, many arrests involve immigration and smuggling charges, which are federal crimes. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico has a courthouse at 100 N. Church St. in Las Cruces, (575) 528-1400. White Sands Missile Range and other federal property in the county can also lead to federal charges.

Search New Mexico Courts Case Lookup using the person's name or the case number. Results include upcoming settings and the name of the assigned division. Federal cases are not on that site and must be found through the federal court.

For magistrate cases, call (575) 524-2814. For felonies in district court, the clerk's office line for case information is (575) 528-8316. Have the case number and the defendant's full name ready. This page is meant as a general guide, not legal advice.