Lea County
Created from sections of Chaves and Eddy Counties, Lea County was established in March 1917. It is located in southeastern New Mexico. Lea County was named for Joseph Calloway Lea, known in the state as the father of Roswell. More than 74,000 people live in the 4,391.6 square miles of land area in Lea County.
There are five municipal courts, one probate court, four magistrate courts, and district court in Lea County's trial court system. The municipal courts handle violations of local ordinances, including DUI offenses. No jury trials are held in Lea County municipal courts and any such requests are transferred to another court.
Probate courts have limited jurisdiction over informal estate and probate matters. Contested estate and probate matters are transferred to the district courts. Magistrate courts in the county can handle civil and criminal cases but have limited jurisdiction. Some criminal cases heard in magistrate courts include preliminary hearings for criminal cases, most misdemeanors, and county ordinance violations. In certain circumstances, the magistrate court may hear cases of municipal ordinance violations. Civil cases handled by the magistrate court include general civil claims where the amount in dispute is less than $10,000, exclusive of costs and interest.
The district court has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. They can handle cases of domestic violence, mental health, child protection, juvenile delinquency, naturalization, trusts, conservatorship, guardianship, and administrative appeals. The court has a children's court division handling specific juvenile case types, including child neglect, emancipation of minors, adoption, and child abuse.
The district court clerk maintains court records in Lea County. Copies of civil and criminal public court records can be obtained by making a request to the office of the clerk located at:
Lea County Courthouse
100 North Main Avenue, Box 6-C
Lovington, NM 88260
Also, you can view electronic case information for Lea County court records using the New Mexico Courts Case Lookup resource. The resource provides access to Lea County district court, magistrate court and municipal court data. However, municipal court data is limited to criminal domestic violence and DWI convictions from September, 1991 onwards.
