Albuquerque will begin holding dedicated Friday court hearings for nine homelessness-related offenses starting July 1, 2025, to reduce missed court appearances and the issuance of arrest warrants. The new scheduling directive, outlined in a memo from Presiding Criminal Division Judge Michelle Castillo Dowler, applies to charges such as obstructing a sidewalk, unlawful camping, and unlawful storage of personal property.
In 2025, 1,256 citations for obstructing sidewalks were issued in Albuquerque—nearly six times the total from the previous eight years combined. Unlawful camping cases also rose to 704 in 2025, up from 113 in 2024. Many individuals cited for these offenses lack a permanent address, making it difficult to receive court notices and increasing the likelihood of missed appearances.
Missed court dates often trigger failure-to-appear warrants, which can lead to jail time if the individual has subsequent contact with law enforcement. The number of people booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center who were designated as homeless rose to nearly 12,000 in 2025, more than triple the 3,670 recorded in 2022.
The Friday hearings will include attendance by a caseworker and an attorney from the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender. The office is also coordinating with local treatment and service providers to be available outside the courtroom during these sessions. "It’s like a one-stop shop on Fridays," said Dennica Torres, the district defender for the public defender’s office.
The city of Albuquerque has allocated $200,000 for a city attorney or paralegal to support the Friday court initiative. The public defender’s office, the district attorney’s office, and the courts have collaborated since 2024 to manage the growing homelessness-related caseload.
Mayor Tim Keller said, "We can’t simply just cycle vulnerable individuals through jail and back out on the street. Both of those are not the right answer." He added, "What we’re doing is following the letter of the law. There are much more punitive things that I’m sure a lot of people would want, that we don’t do because they’re inappropriate." Keller, in office since 2017, has overseen increased enforcement of homelessness-related ordinances alongside encampment clearings. He has previously stated that citations and arrests are not a solution to homelessness.