Kris Houghton
Democratic · NM · New Mexico Court of Appeals, Position 1
Kris Houghton is the appointed judge of New Mexico Court of Appeals Position 1. Before joining the court in 2025, he served in the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Mexico and as a Department of Justice Judicial Attaché in Bogotá.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 1 record
On 2025-11-19, Judge Kristopher N. Houghton authored the New Mexico Court of Appeals memorandum opinion in State of New Mexico v. Thomas Howard, which affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress after holding that executing a valid outstanding arrest warrant to investigate an unrelated crime did not violate the New Mexico Constitution.
November 19, 2025
Source: coa.nmcourts.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 3 favorable
On 2026-06-29, Judge Kristopher N. Houghton specially concurred in the New Mexico Court of Appeals decision in State ex rel. Thomas McGill v. John Bassett, agreeing that the appeal was premature while stating that the majority's Anti-SLAPP analysis set too narrow a limit on protected petitioning activity.
June 29, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: coa.nmcourts.gov
On 2026-02-26, Judge Kristopher N. Houghton authored the New Mexico Court of Appeals memorandum opinion in State of New Mexico v. Isaiah Angel Anthony Gutierrez, which vacated a district-court dismissal with prejudice after holding that a nolle prosequi filing stripped the district court of jurisdiction to enter further orders.
February 26, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: coa.nmcourts.gov
On 2026-01-07, Judge Kristopher N. Houghton authored the New Mexico Court of Appeals memorandum opinion in State of New Mexico v. Alexis Murray Smith, which affirmed the defendant's child-abuse convictions after finding no reversible evidentiary or procedural error.
January 7, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: coa.nmcourts.gov
Past race Kris Houghton ran in:
- Judge of the Court of Appeals Position 1 · November 3, 2026 · New Mexico · incumbent