--- title: "James A. Noel | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # James A. Noel Thirteenth Judicial District Court · District Court Judge ## Profile - Court: Thirteenth Judicial District Court - State: New Mexico - Role: District 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 - Appointed to Division V of New Mexico’s Thirteenth Judicial District Court on February 28, 2020, succeeding retired Judge Louis P. McDonald - He has a diverse legal and administrative background, having held the role of cabinet secretary for the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department under Governor Bill Richardson and as executive director of the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission from 2004 to 2009 He also held positions as Court Executive Officer and Court Clerk in the Second Judicial District starting in 2015, and previously served as assistant attorney general and general counsel for the Office of the State Auditor - Before taking the bench, he held the role of court executive officer and clerk of the Second Judicial District Court, beginning in 2015, and as executive director of the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission — 2004–2009 - Judge James Andrew Noel was appointed to the 13th Judicial District, Division V, by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Louis P. McDonald - His earlier public service included secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, general counsel for the State Auditor’s Office and assistant attorney general work ### Education ### Additional information - The cited overview and attorney directory list an Indiana University B.A. in 1985 and M.B.A. in 1988, followed by a University of New Mexico J.D. in 2000 and New Mexico bar admission that year ## 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://thirteenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-judges) - [Official roster](https://thirteenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-judges) - [New Mexico Courts official judicial roster](https://thirteenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-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) - [www.governor.state.nm.us](https://www.governor.state.nm.us/newsroom/gov-lujan-grisham-makes-judicial-appointments-100003329) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm", "name": "James A. Noel | KnowJudges", "description": "James A. Noel, Thirteenth Judicial District Court. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm#judge", "name": "James A. Noel", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm", "jobTitle": "District Court Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "Thirteenth Judicial District Court" }, "sameAs": [ "https://thirteenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-judges" ], "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of New Mexico" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "New Mexico", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/new-mexico" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James A. Noel", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-a-noel-district-court-judge-thirteenth-judicial-district-court-nm" } ] } ] } ``` ## 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.