In an effort to reduce missed court appearances in misdemeanor cases involving people experiencing homelessness, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court is launching a dedicated Friday docket for certain homeless-related citations.

The weekly Friday docket will start on July 17 and will be specifically for individuals cited for nine homeless-related city violations issued by the Albuquerque Police Department. For these specific case types, the initial court date will be written on the citation issued to the defendant, so they will immediately be aware of when to appear for their hearing. They will also be handed a flyer with detailed information on how to access the Court in-person or over Zoom, along with contact information for the Law Offices of the Public Defender.   

“The goal behind the new scheduling practice is to get people to court,” said Judge Michelle Castillo Dowler, who presides over the Criminal Division of the Metropolitan Court. “Too often, bench warrants are issued because an unhoused person may not have a stable mailing address and may not receive notice of court dates. We hope it becomes common knowledge that Metro Court hears homeless-related citations on Fridays, leading to the timely resolution of cases and better use of our community’s resources.”

The initiative comes in collaboration with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Law Offices of the Public Defender, and the City of Albuquerque. Since December, the group examined these types of cases and determined that having one set day and time where the unhoused know to show up for court will help in reducing the overwhelming failure to appear rate.

The court has also seen a sharp increase in homeless-related citations in recent years. From January through April, filings nearly tripled, increasing from 579 citations during the four-month period in 2025 to 2,072 during the same period this year.

In addition to the designated docket, justice partners will coordinate service and treatment providers that will be available outside the assigned courtroom 320 each Friday to connect individuals with resources to address underlying issues that may contribute to repeated court involvement.

“We all live in and are a part of this community, and when people can more easily access the court system and available support services, we create outcomes that hold individuals accountable, while strengthening justice and improving our community as a whole,” added Judge Castillo Dowler.