--- title: "Michelle Castillo Dowler | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michelle-castillo-dowler-presiding-criminal-division-judge-bernalillo-county-metropolitan-court-nm" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Michelle Castillo Dowler Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court · Presiding Criminal Division Judge ## Profile - Court: Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court - State: New Mexico - Role: Presiding Criminal Division Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Michelle Castillo Dowler is the Presiding Criminal Division Judge for Division XIII of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in New Mexico, a role she has held since her 2013 appointment and which she retained in 2024 for a term ending in 2028 - Worked as an assistant district attorney from 1998 through 2012 ### Education - University of New Mexico School of Law — J.D. (1998) - Bachelor's degree — University of New Mexico — 1995 ### Additional information - Her retention in 2024 reflects continued public confidence in her judicial work - Appointed to the Metropolitan Court in 2013 and elected in 2014. - As Presiding Criminal Division Judge, she oversees criminal cases in Division XIII, which handles a range of criminal matters in the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court system ## 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://metro.nmcourts.gov/about-this-court/judges) - [Official roster](https://metro.nmcourts.gov/about-this-court/judges) - [New Mexico Courts official judicial roster](https://metro.nmcourts.gov/about-this-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) - [metro.nmcourts.gov](https://metro.nmcourts.gov/about-this-court/judges/) - [nmjpec.org](https://nmjpec.org/en/judge-evaluation?election_id=516&year=2024) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michelle-castillo-dowler-presiding-criminal-division-judge-bernalillo-county-metropolitan-court-nm", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michelle-castillo-dowler-presiding-criminal-division-judge-bernalillo-county-metropolitan-court-nm", "name": "Michelle Castillo Dowler | KnowJudges", "description": "Michelle Castillo Dowler, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. 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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.