Kea Riggs
Kea Riggs is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico. She was nominated to the court by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on May 13, 2019, and confirmed by theUnited States Senate on December 19, 2019, by a vote of 94-0.[1][2] She received commission on December 31, 2019.[3] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.
TheUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.
Riggs was a judge of theFifth Judicial District Court inNew Mexico from 2014 to 2019. She was appointed by GovernorSusana Martinez (R).[4]
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (2019-present)
On May 13, 2019, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Riggs to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico.[1] TheU.S. Senate confirmed Riggs on December 19, 2019, by a vote of 94-0.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Kea Riggs |
| Court:United States District Court for the District of New Mexico |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 220 days after nomination. |
 ANominated: May 13, 2019 |
| AABA Rating:Substantial majority well qualified / Minority qualified |
| Questionnaire:Questionnaire |
| AHearing: June 26, 2019 |
| QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| AReported: July 18, 2019 |
| AConfirmed: December 19, 2019 |
| AVote: 94-0 |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Riggs on December 19, 2019, on a vote of 94-0.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.
| Riggs confirmation vote (December 19, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic | 41 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
 Republican | 52 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 94 | 0 | 6 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Riggs was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, theU.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees todistrict court judgeships from 30 hours after invokingcloture to two.[5]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[6]
It was the third use of thenuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to theSupreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[7] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Riggs' confirmation on June 26, 2019.[8] The committee voted to advance Riggs' nomination to the full Senate on July 18, 2019.[9]
Nomination
Riggs was nominated to succeed JudgeChristina Armijo, who assumedsenior status on February 7, 2018.
TheAmerican Bar Association rated Riggswell qualified by a substantial majority andqualified by a minority for the position.[10] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
New Mexico Fifth Judicial District Court (2014-2019)
Riggs became a judge of theFifth Judicial District Court inNew Mexico in 2014. She was appointed by GovernorSusana Martinez (R) on August 8.[4] Riggs was elected to the court in 2014.[11]
2014 election
- See also:New Mexico judicial elections, 2014
Riggs ran for re-election to the5th District Court.
General: She was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.[11]
United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (2001-2014)
Before joining the5th District Court in New Mexico in 2014, Riggs was amagistrate judge of theU.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.[1]
Early life and education
Riggs was born inMidwest City, Oklahoma, in 1965. She earned her B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Oklahoma in 1987 and received herJ.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1990.[12][4][1]
Career
- 2019-present: Judge,U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- 2014-2019: Judge,New Mexico Fifth Judicial District Court
- 2001-2014: Magistrate judge,United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
- 2012-2014, 2008-2009, 2001-2002: Adjunct professor, Eastern New Mexico University
- 2006-2012: Special master and mediator, Self-employed
- 2011, 2006-2009: Adjunct professor, New Mexico Highlands University
- 1999-2004: Associate attorney, Sanders, Bruin, Coll & Worley, P.A.
- 1994-1999: Senior trial prosecutor, New Mexico Fifth Judicial District Attorney
- 1993-1994: Children's court attorney, New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department
- 1991-1993: Assistant district attorney, New Mexico Third Judicial District Attorney
- 1990-1991: Attorney, Cutter & Riggs, P.C.
- 1989-1990: Law clerk,Oklahoma Corporation Commission[12]
Associations
- Chaves County Bar Association
- Dona Ana County Bar Association
- Federal Magistrate Judges Association
- New Mexico Criminal Rules Committee
- New Mexico District Judge and Magistrate Judge Association
- New Mexico Sentencing Commission Sex Offender Management Board
- American Inns of Court, George L. Reese Chapter
- State Bar of New Mexico[12]
About the court
| District of New Mexico |
|---|
| Tenth Circuit |
 |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 7 |
| Judges: 7 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief:William P. Johnson |
| Active judges:James O. Browning,Sarah Davenport,Matthew Garcia,Kenneth John Gonzales,David Herrera Urias,Kea Riggs,Margaret Strickland Senior judges: |
TheUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico is one of 94United States district courts. The district operates out of courtrooms in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and Roswell,N.M. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtownDenver, Colorado at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.
The District of New Mexico hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The jurisdiction of the District of New Mexico consists of all thecounties in the state ofNew Mexico.
Court is held in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell, Santa Fe, and Silver City.
To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
- United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- New Mexico Fifth Judicial District Court
- Courts in New Mexico
- Judicial selection in New Mexico
External links
Officeholder United States District Court for the District of New Mexico |
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
- United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- New Mexico Fifth Judicial District Court
- Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.3White House, "Twelve Nominations Sent to the Senate," May 13, 2019
- ↑2.02.12.2Congress.gov, "PN726 — Kea Whetzal Riggs — The Judiciary," accessed December 19, 2019
- ↑Federal Judicial Center, "Riggs, Kea Whetzal," accessed January 1, 2020
- ↑4.04.14.2Office of the Governor Susana Martinez, "Governor Susana Martinez Appoints Kea Riggs to 5th Judicial District Court," August 8, 2014
- ↑The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," June 26, 2019
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," July 18, 2019
- ↑American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑11.011.1New Mexico Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Candidate List," accessed January 8, 2015
- ↑12.012.112.2U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Kea Whetzal Riggs," accessed June 26, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the District of New Mexico 2019-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | New Mexico 5th Judicial District Court 2014-2019 | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the District of New Mexico 2001-2014 | Succeeded by - |
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| 2017 | Thomas Parker •Elizabeth Branch •Neil Gorsuch •Amul Thapar •David C. Nye •John K. Bush •Kevin Newsom •Timothy J. Kelly •Ralph Erickson •Scott Palk •Trevor McFadden •Joan Larsen •Amy Coney Barrett •Allison Eid •Stephanos Bibas •Donald Coggins Jr. •Dabney Friedrich •Greg Katsas •Steven Grasz •Don Willett •James Ho •William L. Campbell Jr. •David Stras •Tilman E. Self III •Karen Gren Scholer •Terry A. Doughty •Claria Horn Boom •John Broomes •Rebecca Grady Jennings •Kyle Duncan •Kurt Engelhardt •Michael B. Brennan •Joel Carson •Robert Wier •Fernando Rodriguez Jr. •Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
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| 2020 | Lawrence VanDyke •Daniel Traynor •John Kness •Joshua Kindred •Philip Halpern •Silvia Carreno-Coll •Scott Rash •John Heil •Anna Manasco •John L. Badalamenti •Drew Tipton •Andrew Brasher •Cory Wilson •Scott Hardy •David Joseph •Matthew Schelp •John Cronan •Justin Walker •Brett H. Ludwig •Christy Wiegand •Thomas Cullen •Diane Gujarati •Stanley Blumenfeld •Mark Scarsi •John Holcomb •Stephen P. McGlynn •Todd Robinson •Hala Jarbou •David Dugan •Iain D. Johnston •Franklin U. Valderrama •John Hinderaker •Roderick Young •Michael Newman •Aileen Cannon •James Knepp •Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson •Toby Crouse •Philip Calabrese •Taylor McNeel •Thomas Kirsch •Stephen Vaden •Katherine Crytzer •Fernando Aenlle-Rocha •Charles Atchley •Joseph Dawson | ||
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Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court:District of New Mexico • U.S. Bankruptcy Court:District of New Mexico
State courts:
New Mexico Supreme Court•New Mexico Court of Appeals•New Mexico District Courts•New Mexico Magistrate Court•New Mexico Municipal Courts•New Mexico Probate Courts•New Mexico Problem-Solving Courts•New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration Court•Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
State resources:
Courts in New Mexico •New Mexico judicial elections •Judicial selection in New Mexico
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- Appointed by Donald Trump
- Appointed judges, August 2014
- Confirmed 2019
- Federal Article III judges
- Federal judge, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
- Former New Mexico local judge
- Former federal magistrate judge
- Former local court judge
- Former magistrate judge, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
- New Mexico
- Nonpartisan
- Susana Martinez, Local Court
- Former local judicial candidate
- Successful New Mexico judicial candidates, 2014
- Unopposed candidates, November 2014
- Former New Mexico district court judges, Fifth District
- Susana Martinez, District Court
- Federal judiciary nominee, May 2019
- Federal judge, District of New Mexico
