2nd Judicial District Court Judge Division 24
State district court judges hear many types of cases, both civil and criminal. Their civil cases include private injury lawsuits, contracts, real estate, family law, and some mental health and election-related issues. The criminal cases they hear include felony and more serious misdemeanor matters.
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CRYSTAL EMERALD LEES
(Dem)
1. What qualifies you for this office?
2. What in your background would serve you best as a District Court judge?
3. In addition to hearing and deciding cases, how can you help improve the operations of District Court?
4. What policies are needed to keep the judiciary independent from political influence?
5. What other information would you like the voters to know about you?
Education
Sandia High School High, University of New Mexico, Texas Tech University School of Law
Filing County
Bernalillo
I was appointed to the Second Judicial District family court by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in January of 2025 after being the only applicant recommended by the bi-partisan Judicial Nominating Commission. Prior to my appointment, I was adjudicating family court cases as a Domestic Relations Hearing Officer for the Second Judicial District Family Court since 2018. Prior to that, I was in private practice as a family law attorney. I am very patient, punctual, and respectful to all litigants. I have devoted my entire legal career to family law, either in private practice or as a judicial officer.
I believe that my personal background makes me uniquely situated to assist families in my capacity as a judicial officer. I grew up on public assistance and attending Albuquerque Public Schools. I graduated from Sandia High School and then went on to obtain my bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of New Mexico. Additionally, my parents went through an acrimonious divorce when I was 14 years old, after years of domestic violence in the home. Rather than considering what I went through as a child to be “traumatic,” I see it more as a gift that has allowed me to remain sensitive and open to the families in crisis with whom I come into contact on a daily basis.
I do my very best to ensure that each person I encounter is treated uniquely and with dignity and compassion. I strive to balance the needs of each individual family with an expeditious resolution. I believe that efficient use of the resources we have combined with allowing all individuals an opportunity to be heard would improve operations of the family court specifically.
I definitely believe there needs to be an understanding that judges are not, and should not, be subject to political influence or pressures of any kind. We are sworn to apply the facts and the law to each individual case without regard to what would be considered “popular opinion.” Rather than internal policies, educating the public on our roles and limitations as a judicial officer is critical to ensuring that the people who come before us maintain trust and faith in the integrity of the judicial system as a whole.
As an individual who was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I am committed to remaining here and helping my community in any way I can for as long as I am able. I am also dedicated to helping families specifically because I believe that the family unit is the basis and the starting point for all other interactions that a person has with the rest of the world around them.
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