Francisco Ceinos (also spelled Francisco Ceynos) was one of five oidores (members) of the second Audiencia of New Spain. This group governed the colony from January 10, 2015 to April 16, 1535. Ceinos was also in the Audiencias that served as interim governments of New Spain from 1564 to 1566 and from approximately July 1568 to November of that year. In the latter two periods he was president of the governing Audiencia.
Before his arrival in New Spain, he served as fiscal (prosecutor) in the Royal Council of the Indies in Spain. After the disaster of the first Audiencia, Emperor Charles V was determined to find officials of proven humanity and integrity for the second one. He did this by soliciting the recommendations of the archbishop of Santiago and president of the Chancery of Valladolid, Juan Tavera. The second Audiencia was named in a royal decree dated January 12, 1530. Besides Ceinos, it included Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal as president, and Juan de Salmerón, Alonso de Maldonado and Vasco de Quiroga as oidores. In contrast to the members of the first Audiencia, all of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.
Ceinos arrived in New Spain in 1530 and took up his position as oidor early the next year. Bishop Ramírez carried with him instructions to begin juicios de residencia against the members of the first Audiencia (Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo and Diego Delgadillo), as well as Hernán Cortés and Diego Hernández de Proaño. In 1532 the Audiencia brought back verdicts on the residencias of Cortés, the oidores of the first Audiencia and others. Cortés and Bishop Zumárraga were acquitted; Ortiz de Matienzo and Delgadillo were convicted, but not sentenced.