Taos County
Formed in 1852, Taos County lies in the Southern Rocky Mountains in New Mexico's north-central region. Originally one of the state's nine newly-formed counties, it has a population of over 34,000 residents. Taos is its county seat.
Taos County's trial court system is composed of several courts, including a district court, magistrate courts, a probate court, and municipal courts. The Taos County District Court, or the Eighth Judicial District Court, is a general jurisdiction court that handles all cases, including felonies, initial hearings for all criminal case types, lesser offenses, and certain misdemeanors. It also oversees cases related to domestic relations, formal probate and estate matters, mental health, real estate boundaries, juvenile delinquency, child protection, and naturalization.
The Children's Court, which is a District Court division, has primary jurisdiction over specific juvenile cases, including child neglect, adoption, child abuse, and emancipation of minors. Also, it is authorized to oversee the execution of some Tribal Court orders.
Taos County's Magistrate Courts have limited civil and criminal jurisdiction to hear cases, such as initial hearings for all criminal case types, misdemeanors (especially petty misdemeanors), civil claims below $10,000, violations of county ordinances, and municipal ordinance violations in certain situations. In addition, they share jurisdiction with the District Court over criminal misdemeanors and preliminary felony hearings.
The Taos County Probate Court exercises original jurisdiction over informal probate and estate cases. Typical cases include suits where the presence or absence of a decedent's valid will constitutes no controversy and cases relating to the informal appointments of personal representatives. It also has shared jurisdiction with the District and Magistrate Courts over preliminary felony hearings
In Taos County, Municipal Courts, which are juryless limited jurisdiction courts, handle municipal ordinance violations, notably, driving under the influence of liquor and drugs.
Taos County court records refer to all paper and electronic documentation of various legal proceedings, and they usually contain dockets and indexes, affidavits and depositions, and court decrees and judgments. These records facilitate residents' participation in court processes and showcase the courts' transparency and accountability. Typical court records in Taos County include:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Probate records
- Domestic relations records
The Taos County Clerk's (of the District Court) Office manages the court records repository. According to New Mexico's Inspect Public Records Act (IPRA), any interested person can examine or copy non-exempt court records. Record seekers can access court records through in-person visits to the County Clerk's Office or the clerk's offices at the courthouses where their trials occurred. They can also conduct an online court record lookup using the state's case search portal.
