A disagreement over security cuts at the Bernalillo County courthouse has led to operational limitations for thousands of monthly court users as the dispute between the Sheriff’s Office and courts escalates over staffing and costs.
The Administrative Office of the Courts announced on Sunday that it would limit access to the Bernalillo County Courthouse due to security concerns and staffing cuts by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). On Monday, the BCSO denied these allegations, stating they have not scaled back court-related staffing.
Thousands of Bernalillo County residents who use courthouse services monthly faced new restrictions starting Monday as officials clash over security staffing cuts that have sparked a heated dispute between the sheriff’s office and state court administrators.
The Second Judicial District Court will limit public access to three courthouse locations in Albuquerque, affecting more than 7,100 people who visit clerk’s offices monthly and the 3,700 hearings and trials conducted each month.
The restrictions, ordered by the New Mexico Supreme Court and effective through Aug. 2, close clerk’s offices during morning hours and require most civil, family and children’s court hearings to be conducted remotely instead of in person.
But the sheriff’s office strongly disputes the court’s characterization of the security changes, calling them “misleading” in a written statement and saying the agency has maintained adequate security while saving taxpayer money.
Chief Justice David K. Thomson said in a written statement Monday that “the safety and well-being of people required to go to court cannot be compromised.”
“We must take these precautionary steps while the district court works with Bernalillo County and its sheriff’s office to restore security staffing to necessary levels,” Thomson said in the statement issued by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
But Sheriff John Allen’s office fired back in its own written statement, saying “there has been no lapse in safety or reduction in service to the Second Judicial District Court.”
The sheriff’s office said it “worked diligently to identify inefficiencies and restructure schedules to achieve the same level of security and service with fewer deputies, saving taxpayers a significant amount of money without compromising public safety.”
Court officials cited recent violence and security incidents to justify the restrictions, including a melee earlier this year when “several family members jumped over a courtroom railing during a hearing and beat the defendant and a detention center officer.” Last week, “several members of the district attorney’s office were verbally accosted and confronted on their way to a parking lot after a court hearing,” according to the court’s written statement.
The sheriff’s office disputes statistics cited by the courts about security calls. Courts claim there have been 5,867 calls for service to court security deputies in 2025, but the sheriff’s office said that number is “misleading” because it includes routine safety checks.
The sheriff’s office said in its written statement that 3,627 of those calls “were proactive perimeter or floor checks — standard, low-risk safety sweeps conducted by deputies, not responses to incidents.” The actual number of incident responses was 2,240 as of June 30, “averaging about 18.3 calls per day between both facilities,” according to the sheriff’s office statement.
The sheriff’s office said budget constraints drove the staffing changes, noting it has spent more than $1 million in overtime for court security in 2023 and 2024, with costs approaching $900,000 in 2025.
“This level of spending is not sustainable and was a key factor in our decision to restructure staffing for greater efficiency and accountability to the taxpayers we serve,” the sheriff’s office said in its written statement.
The sheriff’s office called the situation “yet another example of an unfunded state mandate placed on counties across New Mexico, forcing local law enforcement agencies to fulfill obligations without the resources, infrastructure, or support necessary to sustain them.”
Current staffing includes nine Court Security Specialists at the District Court and Public Safety Center, with five assigned to the Juvenile Justice Center, representing “the full staffing of Court Security Specialists currently employed by Bernalillo County,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Administrative Office of the Courts Administrative Office of the Courts Barry Massey said staffing by BCSO at the downtown courthouse varies from day to day.
“According to the district court, 17 or 18 security officers were on site at the end of January when the incident occurred in the courtroom in which several people jumped over the railing and attacked the defendant,” Massey said. “BCSO notified the district court on July 10 that it was capping the number of court security officers assigned to the court’s three locations at 14 because it needed to reduce overtime costs. The 14 positions are below past staffing levels.”
Massey said the court has been told there are 30 court security specialist positions but many are unfilled because of difficulties in recruiting individuals for the jobs.
“Court hearings often are emotionally charged and contentious,” Massey said. “Underestimating the court’s security needs can lead to serious harm or tragedy.”
The operational changes affect the Second Judicial District Court, which serves New Mexico’s largest population with 30 judges, 11 hearing officers and more than 300 employees across Bernalillo County’s 670,000+ residents.
Starting Monday:
- The main clerk’s office will be open to the public only from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., while the domestic violence clerk’s office will operate from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- The self-help center will handle only online and telephone inquiries, not in-person visits
- Civil, family and children’s court hearings will be conducted remotely through video conferencing
Criminal and civil jury trials will continue in person, with no changes for jurors reporting for jury selection and trials. More than 1,600 people report monthly to pretrial services and treatment courts at the Public Safety Center.
The changes affect three locations: the Bernalillo County Courthouse at 400 Lomas Blvd., the Children’s Court at the Juvenile Justice Center at 5100 2nd Street NW, and the Judicial Supervision and Diversion Programs at the Public Safety Center at 401 Roma Ave. NW.
The restrictions do not apply to Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court at 401 Lomas Blvd. NW.
The sheriff’s office said the courts have failed to implement recommendations from a 2020 National Center for State Courts staffing study “which not only provided guidance on staffing levels but also made specific suggestions for facility hardening and the proper use of bailiff positions.”
“These are measures the courts have not implemented, yet they continue to rely on outdated and unrealistic expectations of law enforcement coverage,” the sheriff’s office said in its written statement.
Court officials said they are working temporarily through Aug. 2 while attempting to restore security to adequate staffing levels. Under state law, the sheriff’s office is responsible for security at the Second Judicial District Court locations, which are county-owned buildings.