District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer tells prosecutor Kari Morrisey that she isn’t obligated to call herself as a witness in July 2024. Courtesy/NMSC
NMSC News:
SANTA FE — District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer will retire at the end of May after serving 15 years on the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve the people of New Mexico,” Judge Marlowe Sommer said. “However, it is time to step away from the hectic schedule of court business and enjoy retirement. During my time on the bench, I have admired and deeply appreciated those who work so hard each day to ensure the court delivers the fair and timely justice that people are entitled to in our legal system.”
Judge Marlowe Sommer served as Chief Judge of the First Judicial District from April 2019 to April 2022, presiding over the court during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was appointed to the district court in 2010 by then Gov. Bill Richardson, was elected in November of that year, and has since been retained by voters, most recently in 2020.
Before becoming a judge, she worked as a domestic relations and child support hearing officer for the district court and practiced law in Santa Fe for more than 20 years, including as a criminal adult and juvenile defense attorney. She also served as an assistant attorney general.
Judge Marlowe Sommer received her law degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in 1983, and an undergraduate degree from James Madison University in Virginia.
The First Judicial District consists of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties. A judicial nominating commission will screen applicants for the judicial vacancy and recommend nominees to the governor for possible appointment to serve the remainder of Judge Marlowe Sommer’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2028.
“Judge Marlowe Sommer has served the people of the First Judicial District with distinction, integrity and an unswerving commitment to the rule of law,” Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid said.
Judge Marlowe Sommer has presided over about 21,600 cases during her tenure on the bench, starting with a family, abuse and neglect, and juvenile delinquency caseload. Upon the retirement of District Judge Michael Vigil in 2012, she assumed a docket of criminal and treatment court cases.
As part of her criminal caseload, Judge Marlowe Sommer presided over the widely publicized trials of actor Alec Baldwin and movie set armorer Hannah Gutierrez, who were charged in connection with a fatal shooting during the filming of “Rust” in 2020. She also presided over the child molestation cases of former teacher Gary Gregor, and the trial of Jeannine Jaramillo, who was convicted of killing a police officer and retired firefighter during a wrong-way crash on Interstate 25 while attempting to evade law enforcement.