--- title: "Mercedes C. Murphy | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mercedes-c-murphy-district-court-judge-seventh-judicial-district-court-nm" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Mercedes C. Murphy Seventh Judicial District Court · Chief Judge ## Profile - Court: Seventh Judicial District Court - State: New Mexico - Role: Chief 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 district judge September 2014 - The Division I judge for the 7th Judicial District Court of New Mexico, appointed in 2014 and the first woman to serve in that district’s judicial history - Before becoming a judge, Murphy held the role of Deputy District Attorney for the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office from 2002 to 2014, primarily prosecuting cases in Sierra County. - Notable as the first female judge in the Seventh Judicial District - Her work includes ensuring fair and lawful administration of justice across the district’s diverse communities, and she continues to contribute to legal education through CLE faculty roles ### Education - Oklahoma City University — J.D. (2002) - Political Science and Criminology — University of New Mexico ### Additional information - She was appointed by former Governor Susana Martinez in September 2014 and later re‐elected - Prosecutor, 2002–2014. - Also active in local legal initiatives, including the Sierra County Drug Court Team and the Sierra County DWI Planning Council - Judge Murphy presides over cases in the 7th Judicial District Court of New Mexico, Division I, which covers Sierra, Catron, Torrance, and Socorro counties. ## 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://seventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-judges) - [Official roster](https://seventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-judges) - [New Mexico Courts official judicial roster](https://seventhdistrict.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) - [seventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov](https://seventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-court-judges/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mercedes-c-murphy-district-court-judge-seventh-judicial-district-court-nm", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mercedes-c-murphy-district-court-judge-seventh-judicial-district-court-nm", "name": "Mercedes C. Murphy | KnowJudges", "description": "Mercedes C. Murphy, Seventh Judicial District Court. 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