The Hon. Raymond L. Romero is a judge for the 5th Judicial District Court in New Mexico. Romero was appointed to the bench by former Governor Susana Martinez in 2013, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. J. Richard Brown. He retired in 2020 and entered into private practice at the Carrillo Law Firm.
The 5th Judicial District encompasses Lea County, Chaves County, and Eddy County. Over the course of his judicial career, Romero presided over a general civil, family, and criminal law docket. He also held assignments as the Water Judge for the 5th Judicial District, where he was tasked with hearing water rights issues in Pecos Valley.
Prior to his appointment, Romero was the Chief Deputy District Attorney for the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Eddy County. He served there for eighteen years, bringing over two hundred felony cases to jury verdict.
Romero earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of New Mexico in 1989. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Dayton School of Law in 1993.
His memberships have included the Eddy County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. He has also been involved with the Board of Directors for the Eddy County DWI/Drug Court, the Eddy County Battered Families Shelter, and the Carlsbad AWARE Program.
Romero was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Prosecutors Section of the State Bar of New Mexico (2002).
He is registered as a Republican.