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title: "Ernest L. Ortega | KnowJudges"
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# Ernest L. Ortega

New Mexico Magistrate Court, Taos County - I & II · Magistrate Court Judge

## Profile

- Court: New Mexico Magistrate Court, Taos County - I & II
- State: New Mexico
- Role: Magistrate Court Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-26

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Biography

### Professional career

- Ernest L. Ortega has held the position of a Taos County magistrate judge in Division I since appointment by Governor Bill Richardson in January 2006
- The Presiding Judge of the Taos County Magistrate Court, Division 1, in New Mexico, appointed in 2006 and currently serving his fourth elected term
- His earlier public service included work as a special assistant to U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, director of pretrial services for the Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office under John Paternoster, and press secretary or spokesperson for Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil

### Education

- The cited overview describes a University of New Mexico B.A. in political science and a background in political and legal support work before judicial appointment.

### Additional information

- Election sources list re-election in 2010 and 2014.
- His magistrate duties include felony preliminary hearings, misdemeanor trials and civil cases.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### media electronic device coverage

Scope: statewide

New Mexico Rule 23-107 authorizes broadcasting, televising, photographing, and recording in state court proceedings subject to the rule's guidelines and judicial control.

Evidence excerpt: The broadcasting, televising, photographing, and recording of court proceedings in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district courts, magistrate courts, and metropolitan courts of the State of New Mexico are hereby authorized in accordance with the guidelines promulgated herewith.

[Rule 23-107. Broadcasting, televising, photographing and recording of court proceedings](https://nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Rule-23-107-12-20-2018.pdf)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote proceedings conduct

Scope: statewide

New Mexico Judiciary remote-proceedings standards treat virtual courtrooms as formal courtroom settings and impose conduct expectations for remote participants.

Evidence excerpt: The courtroom, whether a physical in-person courtroom, or a virtual courtroom, remains a formal and serious setting where judges hear matters involving real people that affect real lives.

[New Mexico Judiciary Remote Proceedings and Meeting Standards](https://firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/04/NEW-MEXICO-JUDICIARY-REMOTE-PROCEEDINGS-AND-MEETING-STANDARDS.pdf)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://eighthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges)
- [Official roster](https://eighthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges)
- [New Mexico Courts official judicial roster](https://eighthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges)
- [Rule 23-107. Broadcasting, televising, photographing and recording of court proceedings](https://nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Rule-23-107-12-20-2018.pdf)
- [New Mexico Judiciary Remote Proceedings and Meeting Standards](https://firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/04/NEW-MEXICO-JUDICIARY-REMOTE-PROCEEDINGS-AND-MEETING-STANDARDS.pdf)
- [eighthdistrict.nmcourts.gov](https://eighthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges/)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [New Mexico Rule 23-107 — media coverage](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-16ed52dd2958e6571bf2469d) — 2018 dated rule; not extended to Municipal Courts. Media coverage exceptions and judicial control apply. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Rule-23-107-12-20-2018.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.