County judicial expansion construction under way

BERNALILLO — Construction has begun Sandoval County's 13th Judicial District Court improvements.

During a Jan. 7 presentation to commissioners, Assistant Public Works Director Charles Martinez Jr. said the project is fully funded and designed.

The $45 million facility project has been in the works since voters didn’t approve the bond in 2022. Since the bond didn’t pass, legislative funding — grouped with ARPA, capital outlay, NMAOC Project Funding, LATCF, GRT reserve funds, a magistrate court loan and a district court loan — have made the multimillion dollar pursuit possible.

In previous updates, at about this time last year, Martinez stated construction had already technically started because the court's HVAC and roof were being renovated. Now, construction can be spotted on the skirts of the property with dirt being moved.

The digging caused a break in a sewer line Jan. 14, pausing court proceedings for a day.

Currently, judges and staff only handle district court cases. The magistrate court, also located in Bernalillo, is separate near the Bernalillo Walmart. It is attached to the Sandoval County Detention Center.

The expansion would move the magistrate court staff and judges to the district court once complete, allowing all cases, magistrate or district, to be handled under one roof. According to the 13th District, the planning committee is working on setting long-term goals with the idea of expanding the current building to last until 2035. The court said it would support the county’s endeavors in this change.

The expansion is a reaction to the city of Rio Rancho's growth as well as the county as a whole. Now, nearly 120,000 strong, Rio Rancho makes up for a majority of the county population.

Included in the expansion are two additional judge positions. Currently, the district court has 10 judges and the magistrate has four.  The relocation of the magistrate will include three courtrooms, space to keep parties separated and improved security for residents.

Previous coverage noted that the project could occur without the local government or taxpayers incurring any new debt. The expansion will have a slight impact on property taxes, with the monthly impact increasing by about $2-$3.