Case 1:21-mc-00004 Document 45 Filed 08/27/21 Page 1 of 4
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTICT OF NEW MEXICO
IN THE MATTER OF: No. 21-MC-00004-45
FIREARMS IN FEDERAL COURTHOUSE
FACILITIES AND GROUNDS
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
The Court enters this Administrative Order to address the carrying of firearms on
courthouse property. This Order incorporates elements addressed in previous Administrative
Orders and so supersedes previous Administrative Orders on this topic, including:
• Administrative Order 89-156, entered on April 3, 1989, addressing firearms in federal
courtrooms and environs in the District of New Mexico and ordering that, unless permission to
the contrary is received from the U.S. Marshal, only the U.S. Marshal, Deputy U.S. Marshals,
Court Security Officers and Federal Protective Service Officers may enter a federal courtroom
and environs carrying a firearm;
• Amended Administrative Order 89-156, entered on April 24, 1995, ordering among
other things that firearms brought into courtrooms as exhibits shall be checked for safety;
• Administrative Order 97-94, entered on June 23, 1997, authorizing United States
Probation and Pretrial Services Officers to possess firearms for protection in the performance of
their duties; and
• Administrative Order 97-95, entered on June 23, 1997, restricting United States
Probation and Pretrial Services Officers from carrying firearms in courtrooms.
This Administrative Order applies to the United States Courthouses and Federal Buildings
in the District of New Mexico located at 333 Lomas Blvd. NW, Albuquerque; 421 Gold Ave.
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SW, Albuquerque; 500 North Richardson Ave., Roswell; 100 North Church Street, Las Cruces;
and 106 South Federal Place, Santa Fe.
1. For purposes of this Administrative Order, the following definitions will apply:
a) Non-secure public space: Courthouse property accessible to the general public
without having to go through security screening.
b) Parking areas: Courthouse property not accessible to the general public used to
park vehicles. Further entry into the courthouse cannot be obtained from parking areas without an
access card.
c) Courthouse building: Excluding parking areas, areas in the courthouse
accessible only with an access badge or after undergoing security screening.
d) Courtroom and its environs: courtrooms, courtroom vestibules, attorney client
conference rooms, and jury deliberation rooms. This does not include Judges’ Chambers and
Chamber Conference Rooms.
2. Unless otherwise set forth below, only the U.S. Marshal, Deputy U.S. Marshals,
Courtroom Security Officers, and Federal Protective Service Officers may carry a firearm into a
courthouse building or courthouse parking area.
3. When qualified and authorized by the Chief United States Probation Officer and
in compliance with this Court's policy related to firearms as promulgated through the Chief
United States Probation Officer and such other conditions as prescribed by the Judicial
Conference of the United States and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, each
regularly appointed United States Probation Officer of this Court is authorized to carry a firearm
for protection during the performance of his or her duties.
4. Where the United States Probation Office is a tenant of a courthouse, United
States Probation Officers qualified to carry firearms during the course of their duties may carry a
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district-issued firearm stored in Probation Office space through non-courtroom areas of the
courthouse as needed to access vehicles that will be used to transport such firearms.
5. Unless otherwise restricted by the Chief United States Probation Officer, Deputy
Chief United States Probation Officer, or Chief United States District Judge, each United States
Probation Officer who is qualified to carry a firearm during the course of their duties may carry a
personally owned firearm into courthouse parking areas.
6. Pursuant to the safety policy set forth by the United States Marshals Service, all
Probation Officers carrying personally owned weapons into parking areas must secure such
weapons in the lobby gunroom or in the owner’s vehicle, providing the vehicle has a secondary
locking mechanism. No Probation Officer shall bring a personally owned firearm into a
courthouse parking area without first notifying the United States Marshals Service of his or her
intention to do so.
7. No non-law enforcement individual shall bring a firearm onto non-secure public
space, parking areas, or into a courthouse building without first obtaining permission to do so
from the United States Marshals Service and the Chief United States District Judge.
8. Firearms intended to be used as exhibits shall be checked for safety by the United
States Marshals Service before they are taken into a courtroom or its environs.
9. Law enforcement officers not described in the above paragraphs shall check their
weapons with the Court Security Officer upon entry into the facility at the designated security
screening. See 18 U.S.C. § 930.
10. With prior approval of the United States Marshal or designee of United States
Marshal and notice to the Chief Judge, federal law enforcement officers may be permitted to
carry firearms into all courthouse areas, including courtrooms and environs when exigent
circumstances warrant such actions. Absent such exigent circumstances and prior approval, only
the U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshal Deputies, Courtroom Security Officers, and Federal Protective
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Service Officers shall possess firearms (excluding disabled firearms used as exhibits) in
courtrooms and their environs.
11. Except as otherwise set forth above all weapons brought into the courthouse
building must be secured in a designated lockbox.
____________________________
Chief United States District Judge
District of New Mexico
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Notices
1:21-mc-00004 Administrative Orders
U.S. District Court
United States District Court - District of New Mexico
Notice of Electronic Filing
The following transaction was entered on 8/27/2021 at 2:39 PM MDT and filed on 8/27/2021
Case Name: Administrative Orders
Case Number: 1:21-mc-00004
Filer:
Document Number: 45
Docket Text:
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER: In the Matter of Firearms in Federal Courthouse Facilities and
Grounds (cg)
1:21-mc-00004 Notice has been electronically mailed to:
1:21-mc-00004 Notice has been delivered by fax to:
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The following document(s) are associated with this transaction:
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[STAMP dcecfStamp_ID=1167529506 [Date=8/27/2021] [FileNumber=11519368-
0] [1e76fe19402c4e9b01ec6cea993662681fddfa2e3bf7360c21da7e992e7d626a08
cb7a1d4c74552a270c23165900a18b289cbc411401d89c795c9bb7ebc7a834]]
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