The Honorable Linda S. Rogers will retire at the end of the month after serving as a Metropolitan Court Judge since 2006.

Appointed by former Governor Bill Richardson and then elected to the bench, Judge Rogers served in the Criminal Division of the court, also presiding over a Felony docket for two years as the court began holding Preliminary Examination Hearings. 

“I’ve heard thousands of cases throughout my career, but the most-rewarding were the cases I oversaw in the Mental Health Court,” shared Judge Rogers. “It was equally fulfilling to see someone get the help they desperately needed while in turn making the community a safer place to live. I feel that I made the biggest difference in those seven years.”

Judge Rogers presided over the previously named Mental Health Court from 2010 to 2017. The program has since been renamed the Behavioral Health Court but remains the same in its mission of improving the quality of life for people with a mental health diagnosis charged with a crime by reducing criminogenic behavior and providing lifelong stability. With a passion for behavioral health issues, Judge Rogers simultaneously presided over the Competency Court for five years.

“Judge Rogers’ mark on these programs will be felt for years,” said Chief Judge Joshua J.  Sánchez, who currently presides over the Behavioral Health Court. “These cases and this population can be challenging, and Judge Rogers’ heart and dedication never waned as she helped those in the program achieve stability while ensuring the protection of constitutional rights.”

Prior to her tenure on the bench, Judge Rogers worked as an Assistant Public Defender for nine years and as an Assistant District Attorney for four-and-a-half years. 

Born and raised in Las Cruces, Judge Rogers received her law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1990 and earned an undergraduate degree in Government and Economics from New Mexico State University in 1987.

The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judicial Nominating Commission will convene early next year to interview applicants vying to fill the vacancy created by Judge Rogers’ forthcoming retirement.