Commission approves courthouse improvements; district and magistrate to be consolidated

BERNALILLO — The 13th Judicial District Court has had a leaking roof for some time, and Sandoval County Commissioners unanimously approved construction to fix and improve the space at the Nov. 13 meeting.

What they approved was an intergovernmental agreement between the county, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and the 13th Judicial District Court.

“The county has an interest in maintaining and improving one of its most esteemed and important properties, the Sandoval County Judicial Complex, located at 1500 Idalia Road, Building A, Bernalillo, New Mexico (the “Courthouse”),” the agreement states.

It further states that the county wishes to consolidate the district and magistrate courts for “purposes of efficiency, cost effectiveness and enhanced judicial services to the public.”

The district side will add two standard and one complex litigation district courtrooms with jury boxes and jury deliberation rooms; full chambers for three district judges; two district court hearing rooms with associated hearing officer and staff space; a district court conference room; an ADR suite of offices and mediation space; a jury assembly area capable of assembling up to 150 potential jurors; office space for staff attorneys, court administration and court general counsel; a grand jury room and associated office space for district attorney(s); two attorney/client/witness conference rooms outside of and adjacent to each district courtroom; security entrances and screening for public and staff; and secured covered parking for staff and judges.

The magistrate side includes three magistrate courtrooms with jury boxes and adjacent holding cells and sally port(s); one magistrate hearing room; magistrate court clerk’s office; chambers for three magistrate judges and one visiting magistrate judge; a magistrate court conference room; electronic evidence presentation in accordance with current standards; capabilities for remote attendance to court proceedings; and remote attendance to conference room meetings.

County Manager Wayne Johnson says though the magistrate personnel will move to the judicial complex, the space they currently use will just go to a different department.

“The county is generally short on space. The vacated magistrate court facility will be part of the overall space plan. We have more than one department that could be moved into the space,” he said.

“Our objective is to minimize the impact on the operations of the 13th Judicial District Court. The chief judge and court administrator are an integral part of this project, and the courts have hired a project manager to consult with them during the project. We would like to keep any impact to the level of inconveniences rather than disruptions of service,” he explained.

The project is currently in the design phase. Johnson anticipates the project will begin construction in late summer 2025. Construction of the new facility is estimated to take 18 months to two years.