Kea Whetzal Riggs
Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. Born 1965.
Federal judicial service
Newest firstJudge, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- Appointed by
- Donald J. Trump (Republican)
- Nominated
- May 13, 2019
- Senate vote
- 94 to 0
- Confirmed
- Dec 19, 2019
- Commissioned
- Dec 31, 2019
Other federal judicial service
- U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, 2001-2014 (part-time)
Education
- B.B.A., University of Oklahoma, 1987
- J.D., University of Oklahoma College of Law, 1990
Career
- Private practice, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1990-1991
- Assistant district attorney, Third Judicial District, State of New Mexico, 1991-1993
- Children's court attorney, Children, Youth and Families Department, State of New Mexico, 1993-1994
- Senior trial prosecutor, Fifth Judicial District, State of New Mexico, 1994-1999
- Private practice, Roswell, New Mexico, 1999-2004
- Adjunct professor, Eastern New Mexico University--Roswell, 2001-2002, 2008-2009, 2012-2014
- Adjunct professor, New Mexico Highlands University--Roswell, 2006-2009, 2011
- Special master and mediator (part-time), self-employed, Roswell, New Mexico, 2006-2012
- Judge, New Mexico District Court, Fifth Judicial District, 2014-2019
DataSources: Federal Judicial Center, Biographical Directory of Article III Federal JudgesData as of Oct 29, 2026
A work of the U.S. government, not under copyright (17 U.S.C. 105).