Second Judicial District Court
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Criminal Court Judges
The criminal division has twelve (12) judges who hear all felony cases, appeals of Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court criminal cases, extraditions of felons in other jurisdictions and requests for search warrants.
Email: albddiv20proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: Judge Britt Baca-Miller was born and raised in Albuquerque. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University, a master’s degree in public administration from Portland State University, and a juris doctor degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
Judge Baca-Miller worked for the State of New Mexico and for a number of non-profits prior to her appointment to the bench. She served on the board of directors of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association and is currently a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the New Mexico Women’s Bar Association.
Judge Baca-Miller currently presides over criminal expungement matters and the DWI Court program.
Email: albddiv10proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: Judge Bruce Fox received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut and his J.D. from Western New England University. He has been licensed to practice law in New Mexico since 1993, and has spent his entire career working in the courts of New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the Pueblo of Laguna.
Before being appointed to District Court in 2021, he was Chief Judge for the Pueblo of Laguna. He was also a New Mexico Public Defender for many years in the Second Judicial District, and spent the early part of his career as a legal aid attorney at DNA Legal Services on the Navajo Nation.
Throughout his career, Judge Fox has worked on developing a better understanding of addiction and behavioral health issues and their impact on the criminal justice system. He is a strong believer in drug courts and mental health courts.
Email: albddiv9proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: Judge Leos was elected November 8, 2016 to Division IX of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Leos helped to create and currently presides over the Young Adult Court Program.
Email: albddiv26proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: Judge Joseph Montano is an Albuquerque native, and a 2001 graduate of St. Pius X High School. He earned a political science degree from California Lutheran University in 2005, and a J.D. from UNM School of Law in 2008.
After law school, Judge Montano worked for the University of Michigan’s Athletic Department as a Compliance Assistant. He was also the Director of Compliance for UNM’s Athletic Department. He worked in the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office for the past ten years, most recently serving as the Deputy District Attorney managing the General Crimes Felony Trial Division.
Email: albddiv29proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: Judge Lucy Boyadjian Solimon is from Lebanon. She lived in California for 17 years prior to making Albuquerque her home in 2003. Judge Solimon earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Occidental College and in Spanish from the University of New Mexico (UNM). She is fluent in Armenian and is beginner conversant in Spanish. Judge Solimon graduated from UNM School of Law in 2007. She has practiced as both a defense attorney and prosecutor, and has State, Federal, and Administrative court experience. Judge Solimon has worked as an Assistant Public Defender, in private practice, as a Prosecutor for the Pueblo of Laguna as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of New Mexico. She was appointed to the criminal bench in 2020. Judge Solimon presides over cases in the Mental Health Court Program and also aids the Committee for Diversity in the Legal Profession.
Email: albddiv15proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: An Albuquerque native, Judge Courtney Weaks graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in English Literature in 2004. She returned to New Mexico to attend UNM Law School, where she met her husband Jason, and graduated in 2007.
She began her career at the Second Judical District Attorney’s office, prosecuting criminal cases in Metropolitan Court, DWI charges as well as vehicular homicide cases. Judge Weaks then entered private practice where she focused on criminal defense work in addition to practicing family law.
Judge Weaks was elected to the Metropolitan Court Bench in 2014 where she served as the Presiding Judge of Metropolitan Court’s Specialty Court Program as well as the Presiding Judge of the Court’s Behavioral Health Court Program and the Early Intervention Program.
Judge Weaks also serves as an executive of Bernalillo County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council’s (BCCJCC) Subcommittee on Reintegration and Reentry. She was elected to the District Court Bench in 2020.
Email: albddiv2proposedtxt@nmcourts.gov
Biography: Judge Stan Whitaker is a 1989 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law. Judge Whitaker joined the Second Judicial District Court in 2006. He serves as a member of the Criminal Division. He served as Chief Judge from 2018 – 2021.