Criminal Cases in the Chaves County Courts
The Fifth Judicial District Court at 400 N. Virginia Avenue hears Chaves County felony trials and lower-court appeals. Roswell Magistrate Court, in Suite G-1 of the same complex, handles state misdemeanors, DWI and traffic cases, plus preliminary felony matters. Roswell Municipal Court at 420 N. Richardson handles ordinance petty misdemeanors and municipal traffic. The case number and charging law help identify the proper clerk.
The Fifth Judicial District site is the official local source for court services and contacts. Its captured interface shows where Chaves County criminal court users can verify current district information.
District Court is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.; no financial transaction is accepted after 4:30. Magistrate Court is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and remains open at lunch.
Choose the Chaves County Court
Jurisdiction is the first filter. A felony can start with a preliminary matter in Magistrate Court and then move to District Court for prosecution. State-law misdemeanors stay in Magistrate Court, while Roswell ordinance and municipal traffic matters go to Municipal Court. The arresting agency alone does not settle the question because a Roswell officer may cite a state law rather than a city ordinance.
| Court | Chaves County case role | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth Judicial District | Felony trials and lower-court appeals | 575-622-2212; rosdfax@nmcourts.gov |
| Roswell Magistrate | Misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, felony preliminaries | 575-624-6088; rosmpublic@nmcourts.gov |
| Roswell Municipal | Ordinance petty misdemeanors and city traffic | 575-624-6725; r.garcia@roswellnmcourts.gov |
The judiciary's court finder can help confirm the current court, but only its clerk can certify the Chaves County criminal case record.
How to Search Case Records
New Mexico Case Lookup is free, public, and does not require registration. Search by party name when the case number is unknown. For an exact number, select the type of court, location, category, filing year, and sequence. A format such as D-202-CR-2023-0000 identifies the court level, location, criminal category, year, and number.
The official current Case Lookup address appears in this captured source image.
The results can show the case number, filing date, parties, court, judge, status, charges or citations, pleas, disposition date, and docket events. They do not provide the pleading images. Use the event list to name the complaint, indictment, motion, judgment, sentence, or other document requested from the clerk.
A party-name search is useful when the exact Chaves County number is unknown, but matching still requires care. Compare the court, filing date, charge text, and docket history instead of relying on a shared name alone. An attorney search requires both first and last name, with the middle name optional, while the Attorney Number field uses the Supreme Court CAID rather than a bar number. Results may also be sorted by filed date, reverse filed date, or status. Narrow date filters can separate two cases with similar captions.
| Field | Type | Chaves County search note |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Court | Selector | D identifies District Court |
| Court Location | Selector | Choose the local court identifier |
| Case Category | Selector | CR commonly identifies criminal |
| Year and number | Numeric | Four-digit year and usually zero-padded sequence |
| Party name | Text | Use verified spellings and variants |
| Status and filed date | Filters | Open, closed, or all with date limits |
Chaves County Court Access Levels
Case Lookup is the open index. re:SearchNM is a registered, profile-based document channel that replaced active SOPA access in 2023. Tier 1 covers most viewable criminal and civil matters. Other tiers protect delinquency and highly confidential case types. A self-represented person may seek access to a case in which the court marks them as appearing without counsel.
The judiciary's public-access explanation is the source for the captured comparison below.
Profile access is not anonymous document access. A reader who only needs the Chaves County docket can use Case Lookup, then contact the clerk for a public copy or certified record.
What the Case File Shows
A Chaves County court file follows one prosecution. It is distinct from a police report, booking sheet, and statewide rap sheet. Read charge rows and disposition rows together. A filed allegation does not prove guilt, and an initial charge can be amended or dismissed before final judgment.
| Case header | Formatted number, court, location, category, filing date, status, and assigned judge. |
|---|---|
| Parties | Defendant and other public party information, with protected identifiers suppressed. |
| Charges | Filed counts, statutes or citations, and initial or final pleas when entered. |
| Docket events | Chronological filings, hearings, motions, orders, and notices. |
| Disposition | The result and date for each resolved count. |
| Sentence | Custody, probation, fines, fees, restitution, and related judgment terms. |
Common terms can be read in plain language. A docket is the event register. A disposition is the recorded outcome. Nolle prosequi means the prosecutor formally chose not to continue a charge. A deferred sentence postpones judgment or sentence subject to conditions.
The charge description and final plea should be checked count by count. One count may be dismissed while another ends in conviction, so a case-level word such as closed cannot supply the result by itself. Financial entries can reflect fines, fees, or restitution without explaining whether every court condition is complete. If the Chaves County docket shows an order but not its text, request that named order from the clerk and ask whether certification is needed for the reader's purpose.
Chaves County Seven-Day Docket
The Fifth Judicial District publishes a seven-day Chaves County District Court docket for near-term hearings. It is a schedule aid, not a complete case history, and settings can change. Match the hearing entry to Case Lookup and confirm time or status with the clerk before relying on it.
The official seven-day docket page supplies this captured view.
A docket listing can point to the next hearing, but the case file remains the source for pleadings, rulings, disposition, and sentence. Ask for the document by its event description when Case Lookup lists it.
Stages of a Criminal Case
Criminal cases do not all take the same route, but the public docket often reflects a common sequence. Felony preliminary work may occur in Magistrate Court before the District Court file becomes the main prosecution record. Plea negotiations, motion practice, dismissal, or trial can change the path.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing.
Arraignment is the hearing where charges are presented and a plea is taken. Pretrial events can include discovery, motions, and scheduling. Disposition records the outcome of each charge. Sentencing follows a conviction but may occur on a different day. The court's final judgment, not the arrest entry, controls the legal result.
Chaves County Certified Court Copies
Case Lookup supplies information, not certified copies. Contact the court that holds the file and identify the case number, party, document title, and approximate filing date. Older or omitted material, including many pre-1997 records, requires direct clerk work. District Court and Magistrate Court use separate contacts even though both sit at 400 N. Virginia.
The Fifth District fees and filing page is the source for the captured fee information.
Published court prices include $0.35 per page, $1.50 for certification and seal, and $4.50 for exemplification. Confirm the amount and delivery method with the Chaves County clerk before sending payment.
Access & Restrictions
Public access does not include every case or every field. Social Security numbers, addresses, and other personal identifiers are suppressed. Juvenile cases have not displayed publicly since July 1, 2007, and protection-order cases since July 1, 2008. Most municipal coverage is historical DWI and domestic-violence conviction data beginning September 1, 1991. Sealed and expunged material is also restricted.
The official Chaves court contact page shows the clerks and office details used when the portal does not answer the request.
Under New Mexico IPRA and judiciary access policy, other protected content can include confidential sources or methods and information about people accused but not charged. A clerk can explain the request channel but cannot release a file that law or court rule makes confidential.
Restricted access also explains why two official searches may return different levels of detail. Case Lookup suppresses document images and certain case categories, while a registered re:SearchNM profile can receive access based on the user's role. Neither route overrides a sealing order or confidentiality rule. For an old Chaves County matter that does not appear online, give the clerk a narrow date range, known party spelling, court level, and any former case number format. That direct request is more reliable than assuming the missing online row means no file exists.
Chaves County Adult Treatment Court
Chaves Adult Treatment Court serves screened adult county residents who meet high-risk, high-need, and qualifying substance-related criteria. The public case file can still show court events and outcomes, but protected treatment information does not become an open case field. That boundary matters when a public docket appears less detailed than expected.
The program lists Judge Jared Kallunki as presiding, Judge Dustin Hunter as alternate, and coordinator Matthew Rutherford at 575-622-2212 extension 220 or rosdmjr@nmcourts.gov. Participation is not inferred from a generic Chaves County criminal case search. Use only the court record and official program channel that actually applies to the case.
For the broader distinction between booking data, agency reports, and court outcomes, return to the Chaves County criminal history overview.