Gov. Lujan Grisham appoints two new district court judges
Contact: Michael Coleman
Office of the Governor
August 20, 2026
SANTA FE — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced the appointment of Maria Montoya Chavez to serve as a judge on the Second Judicial District Court and Kirsten Louise Dick to serve as a judge on the Thirteenth Judicial District Court.
Montoya Chavez fills a newly created judgeship established by the New Mexico Legislature. Her appointment commences September 28, 2026. Under state law, her term runs until the next general election following her appointment, at which point she may stand for election to a full term.
Montoya Chavez has practiced law in New Mexico for 26 years. She is president and CEO at Sutin, Thayer & Browne, where her practice has focused on family law. She has served as chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of New Mexico and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
Montoya Chavez earned her Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1999 and holds a bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of New Mexico. She was raised in Northern New Mexico.
Dick fills the vacancy left by the resignation of the Honorable Cheryl Hein Johnston. Her appointment commences September 12, 2026. Under state law, her term runs until the next general election following her appointment, when she may stand for election to a full term.
Dick currently serves as a hearing officer and special commissioner for the Second Judicial District Court, where she presides over abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency, expungement and mental health court cases. She previously served as the 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. She has chaired the New Mexico Supreme Court's Children's Court Rules Committee since 2023 and has taught as an adjunct legal writing professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law.
Dick earned her Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2018 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism studies from the University of Denver.