New Mexico Supreme Court

New Mexico Supreme Court
Seal of the New Mexico Supreme Court
Established	1841
Country	New Mexico , United States
Location	Santa Fe, New Mexico
Authorized by	New Mexico Constitution
Decisions are appealed to	Supreme Court of the United States
Judge term length	8 years
Website	Official website
Chief Justice
Currently	Charles W. Daniels
Since	2016
Lead position ends	2018

The New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews civil and criminal decisions of New Mexico's trial courts of general jurisdiction and certain specialized legislative courts, only having original jurisdiction in a limited number of actions. The New Mexico Supreme Court meets in Santa Fe, the state capital.

The court's five justices are chosen by statewide election, or appointed by the Governor if to fill a seat that has become vacant mid-term; the justices in turn choose who among them will serve as Chief Justice. The second time they face popular election, they must first pass review by a judicial standards committee, and then face a retention election in which they must receive at least 57% of the vote.

In 1846, what is now New Mexico was seized by the United States from Mexico at the outset of the Mexican-American War. Brigadier General Stephen Watts Kearny was installed as military governor at Santa Fe, and appointed Joab Houghton the first Chief Justice of New Mexico, in the provisional civilian government, with Antonio J. Otero and Charles Beaubien also serving as justices. Houghton served until 1850, when the New Mexico Territory was organized by one of the five acts of United States Congress collectively known as the Compromise of 1850.

Section 10 of the 1850 Act formally established the Supreme Court for the territory. The court consisted of a chief justice and two associate justices (later increased to five), who were appointed to four-year terms by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The court met in a building designed by Chief Justice Houghton, which served as the courthouse until 1937.