Aug. 20, 2024

Electronic filing in existing criminal cases in the Metropolitan Court will be available for attorneys starting Aug. 23, 2024. The service is specifically for subsequent filings in open criminal cases and cannot be used to initiate a criminal case. The electronic filing of subsequent documents in criminal cases will become mandatory for attorneys Oct. 14, 2024.

“This is a game-changer in terms of efficiently processing the immense volume of paperwork our court sees. Our staff received, sorted and routed 94,286 case filings in-person and through email last fiscal year, and the move to e-Filing increases efficiencies for court staff and attorneys alike,” said Chief Judge Joshua J. Sánchez.

Electronic filing allows attorneys to submit electronic documents instead of paper. E-Filing also creates an electronic record of when a party filed a document with the court and when the opposing party received the document if the e-service option is used.

Criminal case e-Filing and service of subsequent documents will occur through the Judiciary’s online eFile & Serve system, which is also currently used for civil cases in the Metropolitan Court. Attorneys filing subsequent documents in criminal cases in the Metropolitan Court will be required to complete electronic fields specifying the document type and noting if the case is scheduled for a hearing the same or following day.

New Mexico’s 46 magistrate courts also will begin receiving and processing subsequent electronic filings into criminal cases on Aug. 23.

Training is available this week for attorneys and staff not familiar with the online system, and more information regarding resources and how to register for an eFile & Serve account can be found at: https://nmcourts.gov/resources/e-filing-for-attorneys/.

As the busiest court in the state, 62,241 cases were filed in the Metropolitan Court last fiscal year. The limited jurisdiction court hears petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor crimes that carry a maximum jail term of 364 days and fines of up to $1,000. The Civil Division presides over cases in which the amount in dispute does not exceed $10,000, subject to the other jurisdictional limits of the court. The Judges at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court also conduct Felony First Appearances and Preliminary Examination Hearings. Nineteen Judges preside.