---
title: "Maria Montoya Chavez | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/maria-montoya-chavez-second-judicial-district-court-nm"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Maria Montoya Chavez

Second Judicial District Court · District Court Judge

## Profile

- Court: Second Judicial District Court
- State: New Mexico
- Role: District Court Judge
- Service status: active

## Summary

Maria Montoya Chavez — Second Judicial District Court

## Biography

### Professional career

- Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Maria Montoya Chavez on August 20, 2026 to serve as a judge on the Second Judicial District Court in New Mexico
- New Mexico District Court Judge serving on the Second Judicial District Court, appointed in August 2026 to a newly created judgeship and assigned to the Family Court Division

### Education

- St. Mary’s University — J.D. (1999)
- Bachelor’s degree, Criminology — University of New Mexico

### Additional information

- Sutin, Thayer & Browne president/CEO and family attorney.
- Montoya Chavez has over 25 years of legal practice in New Mexico
- focusing on family law.
- President and CEO of Sutin, Thayer & Browne, a family law firm.
- The first woman to hold this specific appointment in the Second Judicial District’s Family Court Division
- Her judgeship was newly created by the New Mexico Legislature
- She previously held the role of Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of New Mexico and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals

## Sources

- [nm-governor.nmgov.onconcourse.com](https://nm-governor.nmgov.onconcourse.com/newsroom/gov-lujan-grisham-appoints-two-new-district-court-judges-2018/)

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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.