New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday announced her appointments of two new district court judges: Maria Montoya Chavez as a judge on the Second Judicial District Court and Kirsten Louise Dick for the Thirteenth Judicial District Court.
Montoya Chavez, whose appointment starts Sept. 28, has practiced law in the state for more than 25 years, and fills a new judgeship the state Legislature created, with her term running until the next general election after one year of service, at which point she will run for election for a full term. She previously served as chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of New Mexico and has a law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in Texas and a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of New Mexico, according to a news release.
Dick, who currently serves as a hearing officer and special commissioner for the Second Judicial District Court, fills a vacancy left by Cheryl Hein Johnston. Her term begins Sept. 12, and she will also run in the next general election after one year of service for a full term. She holds a law degree from UNM and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Denver. She previously served as Second Judicial Court’s Children’s Court managing attorney, as a rules attorney for the New Mexico Supreme Court’s Clerk of Court’s Office and as a judicial law clerk and assistant attorney in the chambers of Justice Barbara J. Vigil.