Repeat-offender case review · New Mexico · 2020–2026
Pulling back the curtain on courtrooms that close cases without a verdict
Judge the Bench reviewed criminal case outcomes for 150 of New Mexico’s most prolific repeat offenders. In 13 courtrooms, a large share of those cases were dismissed, never ending in a conviction, plea, or acquittal.
- 150Repeat offenders tracked
- 5,000+Cases reviewed
- 13Courtroom write-ups
- 2026November retention election
What this study measured
From 2020 through mid-2026 we followed more than 5,000 cases involving 150 repeat offenders who cycled through New Mexico jails. A disposition is treated as problematic when the charge is not resolved on the merits — including findings of incompetence, failure to prosecute, State notices of dismissal (nolle prosequi)*, and deferred dismissals.
*A formal statement by the prosecutor that the State will no longer prosecute a pending charge or case.
Valid reasons can exist in a single case. The record below is about pattern: how often those non-merits endings appear in a given courtroom, and what the featured defendants were charged with next.
Courtrooms that stand out in the retention election
Thirteen courtrooms with the highest rates of criminal repeat-offender case dismissals are listed below. Twelve are presided over by judges seeking retention in November 2026. Maria I. Dominguez retired effective August 31, 2026. Select any one to learn more.
You can look and decide if you want this to continue. If you do not, just say NO on retention.
The following courtrooms had some of the highest rates of criminal repeat-offender case dismissals:
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Judge Vidalia Chavez
(Bernalillo County)
43 cases adjudicated · 34 problematic
Open courtroom →Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Judge Maria I. Dominguez
Retired August 31, 2026
(Bernalillo County)
76 cases adjudicated · 58 problematic
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Judge Brittany Maldonado Malott
(Bernalillo County)
42 cases adjudicated · 32 problematic
Open courtroom →Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Judge Jill Martinez
(Bernalillo County)
42 cases adjudicated · 31 problematic
Open courtroom →Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Judge Christine Rodriguez
(Bernalillo County)
40 cases adjudicated · 27 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Third Judicial District Court
Judge Manuel Arrieta
(Doña Ana County)
26 cases adjudicated · 17 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Third Judicial District Court
Judge Douglas Driggers
(Doña Ana County)
45 cases adjudicated · 27 problematic
Open courtroom →Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Judge Joshua Sanchez
(Bernalillo County)
76 cases adjudicated · 42 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Second Judicial District Court
Judge Bruce Fox
(Bernalillo County)
22 cases adjudicated · 12 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Second Judicial District Court
Judge Jennifer Wernersbach
(Bernalillo County)
12 cases adjudicated · 6 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Thirteenth Judicial District Court
Judge James Sanchez
(Cibola, Sandoval, and Valencia Counties)
14 cases adjudicated · 6 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Second Judicial District Court
Judge Clara Moran
(Bernalillo County)
24 cases adjudicated · 10 problematic
Open courtroom →New Mexico Sixth Judicial District Court
Judge Jarod Hofacket
(Grant, Hidalgo, and Luna Counties)
22 cases adjudicated · 9 problematic
Open courtroom →More than 50 judge profiles
Background pages for more than 50 New Mexico judges running for either retention or general election positions are on this list.
November 2026 retention
Some of the courtrooms in this review are presided over by judges seeking to keep their seats in the November 2026 election. The write-ups above are the public record we compiled from the repeat-offender cases — open a courtroom, then vote with the file in front of you.