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Second Judicial District Court

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Family Court Judges

The Family Court Division has four (4) judges.

These judges handle divorces, legal separations, custody and time-sharing matters, division of property and debts in divorce cases, spousal support, child support, Uniform Parentage Act cases for unmarried parents, domestic violence cases, kinship-guardianship of children cases and adult adoptions.

Name: Amber Chavez Baker
Division XXII
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Kimberly Fenstermacher
Phone: 505-841-6778

Biography: Amber Chavez Baker was appointed to the Second Judicial District Family Court bench in March 2019. She was a Domestic Relations Hearing Officer for Family Court from 2015 until her appointment. Before that, Judge Chavez Baker practiced exclusively in family law; representing parents, grandparents and children in Albuquerque and Carlsbad. Judge Chavez Baker is an Albuquerque native, graduating from the University of New Mexico with both her undergraduate and law degrees. She enjoys community outreach activities, in particular as a board member for the Albuquerque Speech and Language Hearing Center.

Name: Gerard Lavelle
Division XI
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA:  Julio Estrada
Phone: 505-841-7574
Biography: Prior to being appointed to the Family Court bench in January 2009, Judge Lavelle practiced Family Law for 28 years. Judge Lavelle has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars on Family Law issues locally and nationally. Judge Lavelle has served for many years as a judge at Mock Trials for both high school and middle school students.
Name: Jane Levy
Division XXV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Amber Johnson
Phone: 505-222-4566
Biography:  On November 29, 2016, Governor Susana Martinez appointed Jane Levy of Albuquerque to Division XXV of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Levy has practiced law for more than ten years, with a focus on advocating for New Mexico families. In addition to her legal experience, Judge Levy has spent time volunteering for organizations that help domestic abuse victims and the homeless. Judge Levy holds a Juris Doctorate from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon and a Bachelor’s Degree from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Name: Debra Ramirez – Presiding Family Court Judge
Division XXIV
Location: Downtown Court
TCAA: Maria Guerrero
Phone: 505-841-7476
Biography: Judge Ramirez joined the Court in 2014 as the Domestic Violence Judge. Prior to that, she served the Second Judicial District Court as the Domestic Violence Special Commissioner from 2001-2003 returning in 2009, serving until her appointment to the bench in 2014. She serves as the Chair of the New Mexico Supreme Court’s Domestic Relations Rules Committee and is a member of the New Mexico Intimate Partner Homicide Review Team.