The Eighth Judicial District Treatment Court Programs

Taos Adult Drug Court Program

The Taos Adult Drug Court (TADC) program is a drug and alcohol treatment strategy administered and supervised by the Eighth Judicial District Court in partnership with professionals from the criminal justice communities and mental health and drug/alcohol treatment communities. Drug Court’s treatment is consistent with best national practices as recommended by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and adopted for Treatment Courts in New Mexico.

The mission of the Adult Drug Court is to provide an alternative to traditional sanctions through comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment in conjunction with intensive court and community-based supervision to individuals who have committed non-violent criminal offenses as a direct or indirect result of substance abuse. Adult Drug Court offers highly structured long-term treatment that ensures public safety by mitigating immediate risk factors. Adult Drug Court’s primary goals are to reduce recidivism by addressing the long-term needs of the participants and to support participants in becoming sober, productive and contributing members of the community.

What We Do

Taos Adult Drug Court provides services for high-risk/high-need felony offenders who have an underlying drug or alcohol substance abuse addiction. Our services are available pre-sentence as a condition of release, or post-sentence as a part of the offender’s sentence.

Drug Court Program Manager
Hannah Smith
575-751-8620
taodhls@nmcourts.gov

Taos County Adult Drug Court Program

Rio Grande Alcohol Treatment Program

Presiding Judge
Emilio J. Chavez

Court held every Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Taos County Courthouse, Taos, NM.

Raton Adult Drug Court Program
Golden Willow Counseling
101 Letton Drive
Raton, NM 87740
Phone: 575-707-0262

Drug Court Program Coordinator for Raton
Lexi Ortega
Phone: 575-445-7565
ratdleo@nmcourts.gov

Presiding Judge
Steven Romero

Court is held every Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Colfax County Courthouse/Leon Karelitz Judicial Center, Raton, NM.

Taos County Family Violence Court Program

First implemented in January 2022, the EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT’s Taos County Family Violence (FV) “problem-solving” court targets FV offenders in our community. Family Violence is a pattern of behavior in a familial relationship that can include physical, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions to maintain power and control over another person. Our court aims to reduce recidivism in FV defendants, improve case adjudication times, offer greater protection and resources for alleged FV victims, and provide therapeutic intervention as an alternative to prosecution/incarceration for FV defendants, utilizing a multi-professional treatment/counseling/direction overseen by the court with an emphasis on procedural justice and accountability. Problem-solving courts rely on intensive case management done collaboratively by a robust multi-disciplinary team, led by our Judge and including representatives from our contracted providers, defense and prosecution, Adult Probation and Parole, law enforcement, and other stakeholders. Our court serves high-risk/high-need individuals with family violence-related charges, both pre- and post-adjudication. We recognize that for family violence, incarceration fails to address the root causes. It is to this end that our court incorporates intensive treatment intervention, including not only batterers’ intervention programming but also a range of behavioral health interventions. We also utilize a whole family model, working not only with the participants but also with their families, including partners, parents, and children. This approach supports not only offender rehabilitation but also ensures improved outcomes and increased safety for victims and families.

Court held every Wednesday at noon at the Taos County Courthouse Taos, NM.

Presiding Judge
Sara Blankenhorn

Program Manager
Hannah Smith
575-751-8620
taodhls@nmcourts.gov

Program Specialist
Sivreana Tafoya 
575-758-3173 ext. 642 
taodsct@nmcourts.gov

Surveillance Officer
Victoria Valle 
575-758-3173 ext. 637 
taodvlv@nmcourts.gov