New Mexico Tenth Judicial District Court, Division I
Background Timothy Rose is a district court judge in Division I of the New Mexico Tenth Judicial District Court and serves as Chief Judge of the entire district. He presides over general jurisdiction cases, including criminal, civil, family, and domestic matters. His primary chambers are in Tucumcari, Quay County. The district serves De Baca, Harding, and Quay counties.
Education & Admission He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and Texas Tech University School of Law. He was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 2000.
Prior Experience Rose served as the elected District Attorney for the Tenth Judicial District from 2013 until his appointment as judge. He previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the same office.
During his time as District Attorney, he received multiple contempt citations in 2014 and 2020 for missing hearings, including one related to COVID-19 travel restrictions. He was fined $250 in the 2020 case. He was also named as a defendant in federal civil rights lawsuits, including Phillips v. Rose (2024), stemming from prosecutorial decisions.
Appointment & Current Role A Democrat, he was appointed to the bench on March 25, 2024, by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to fill a vacancy and was sworn in shortly thereafter.
- In November 2025, he sentenced truck driver Nicholas Lee Pryor to six years in prison plus five years of supervised probation for a deadly Interstate 40 crash in Quay County that killed Fauna Gutierrez and injured others.
- In 2024, he presided over sentencing in a dog-attack matter that was moved to another county due to his prior role as District Attorney.
Election Status He is running for election in the 2026 cycle.
Sources / Links:
- Tenth Judicial District Court Judges: https://tenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges/
- Governor’s Appointment Announcement: https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2024/03/25/governor-announces-judicial-appointments/
- Eastern New Mexico News (appointment and sentencing): Various articles (2024–2025)
- Contempt Coverage (pre-bench): ABC7 Amarillo / Eastern New Mexico News (2020)




















































