Supreme Court
Rule of Law Program
This year, the Supreme Court will hold oral argument on April 3, 2023 at 1 p.m. in State v. King at the Nick Salazar Center for the Arts on the Northern New Mexico College campus in Española, NM.
Students may attend in person or virtually watch as attorneys explain their positions on the legal issues in a case and Supreme Court justices question the attorneys to clarify matters. This is what is known as Oral Argument.
Another component of the Rule of Law Program is the opportunity to have Justice David K. Thomson come to your classroom to facilitate a discussion of State v. King.
The Case - State v. King
Rule of Law Program 2023
Study the Case
The justices will hear arguments in a case in which a Farmington man, Eric King, contends that police unlawfully towed and impounded his vehicle – later searching it – after a traffic stop in 2019 for an outstanding arrest warrant.
A central legal question in the case is whether the constitution allows law enforcement in New Mexico to seize a person’s vehicle after an arrest without “exigent circumstances” — something so urgent that it requires immediate action and creates an exception to the general requirement to obtain a warrant.
The case is State v. King, S-1-SC-39163
To read State v. King, use this link and type in the case number.
You’ll be able to view all of the filings and know what is happening with the case.
Materials for Teachers and Students
Rule of Law Program 2023
Be prepared with a Study Pack
The Supreme Court Law Library prepared a lesson plan and summary of case materials that schools can study in advance of the oral argument or in advance of a visit.
Attending the Oral Argument or Requesting a Visit
Rule of Law Program 2023
Witness our judicial process in action!
Oral argument is on April 3rd at 1 p.m. at the Nick Salazar Center for the Arts on the campus of Northern New Mexico College
Schools in and around the Española Valley have priority seating at the oral argument, yet we may be able to accomodate more students.
If you are interested in having your class attend the oral argument, as soon as possible please contact:
Chief Deputy Clerk of Court
Lysette Romero Córdova at
suplrc@nmcourts.gov or 505-827-4942
If you would like someone to speak to your students about the rule of law, please reach out as soon as possible to:
Administrative Assistant
Tammy Mitchell at
suptdm@nmcourts.gov or 505-827-4932
Livestream and Recording of Oral Argument in State v. King
Rule of Law Program 2023
Witness our judicial process in action!
The Rule of Law Program allows students to attend in person or virtually watch as attorneys explain their positions on the legal issues in a case and justices question the attorneys to clarify matters.
Here are the documents for the case.
S-1-SC-39163 Reply Brief, S-1-SC-39163 Answer Brief, S-1-SC-39163 Brief in Chief
A recording of the livestream will remain available here and on the NM Courts YouTube channel. Subscribe to NMCourts on YouTube today!
You can view the recording of the oral argument below: