Belen Municipal Court

Belen Municipal Court cases in Valencia County, Belen, NM

Belen Municipal Court is a municipal court of limited jurisdiction serving the City of Belen, New Mexico. It adjudicates violations of Belen city ordinances committed within city limits, primarily traffic offenses (moving, nonmoving, and parking) and petty misdemeanor criminal matters defined by municipal code, along with code-enforcement violations. The court conducts arraignments, accepts pleas, holds trials, and imposes authorized fines, fees, probation, or short jail terms, and issues warrants related to ordinance cases. It does not hear civil lawsuits, family or juvenile matters, or felony cases; those fall outside its jurisdiction and are handled by higher or other state courts.

Belen Municipal Court Contact and Location Information

Services and Case Types Handled in Belen Municipal Court

Belen Municipal Court is a limited-jurisdiction court serving the City of Belen. It handles:
- Traffic and parking citations and other municipal ordinance violations (e.g., code, animal control, noise).
- Petty misdemeanor/misdemeanor offenses charged under city law.

Core services:
- Case intake and docketing of citations and criminal complaints.
- Court hearings: arraignments, pretrial conferences, bench trials, and-when authorized-jury trials; sentencing and compliance reviews.
- Warrant issuance/recall; bonds; fines/fees, payment plans, and collections.
- Subpoenas, records requests, and public calendars.
- Jury services when a jury is required: juror summons, qualification, scheduling, and check-in.

Protective orders: Domestic violence Orders of Protection are not issued in municipal court; parties are directed to magistrate or district court.

The court provides interpreter and accessibility accommodations and processes continuance requests.