School of Law Alumnus Kristopher Houghton Appointed to the New Mexico Court of Appeals
August 22, 2025 - Emily Romero
On August 5, 2025, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her appointment of Kristopher Nicolas Houghton, a graduate of the UNM School of Law, to the New Mexico Court of Appeals. He succeeds Judge Kristina Bogardus, with his term extending until the next general election.
Before joining the bench, Judge Houghton served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions for the District of New Mexico for over a decade. He also led the Department of Justice’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, managing what has been described as the busiest extradition practice globally, from 2020-2022.
“I was there for two and a half years working out of the United States Embassy in Bogotá, which was an amazing experience and one that is really quite rare,” said Judge Houghton. Houghton worked closely with the Colombian Attorney General and Minister of Justice on matters of bilateral justice. Judge Houghton explained, “I learned a tremendous amount from my counterparts in Colombia and I am proud of the work we accomplished together to make the United States and Colombia safer.”
He reflected on how unlikely his path to diplomatic service seemed: “I don’t come from a family of diplomats. My mom grew up as a subsistence farmer in Oregon, and her grandparents were immigrants from Italy. My dad served a career in the Army. I think that is a hallmark of the American system. People can serve in diplomatic roles and represent the United States who don’t come from wealth, and who don’t come from positions of power.”
Following his time in Colombia, Judge Houghton served as Chief of the Criminal Division in Albuquerque from July 2022 through May 2025, where he supervised all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions for the northern two-thirds of the state. Earlier in his career, he clerked for both the New Mexico Supreme Court and the New Mexico Court of Appeals under Justice Charles W. Daniels and Judge J. Miles Hanisee. He also worked as an immigration lawyer and as a staff attorney for the Court of Appeals.
Judge Houghton is a proud School of Law alumnus, earning his J.D. in 2007 and being admitted to the New Mexico State Bar in 2008. “I find the New Mexico legal community to be really collegial, really supportive,” he said. “The UNM School of Law was a truly transformational place for me as a lawyer and as a person. I wouldn’t be here if not for that law school and if not for those professors.”
In a full-circle moment, Judge Houghton, who began his legal career clerking for Judge Hanisee, was sworn in to the Court of Appeals by Judge Hanisee over a decade later, on August 15, 2025. Looking ahead to his new role, Houghton reflected on what drew him to the bench: “After my time as Criminal Chief with the change in administration, I started realizing that the threats against judges and the judiciary have increased. I began thinking deeply about that branch of government, how vital it is to democracy, and I wanted to be part of the group willing to raise their hands and say, ‘I want to do this work.’ Starting as a judge on the Court of Appeals is a huge blessing—I’m really excited.”
The School of Law extends its warmest congratulations to Judge Houghton as he begins this next chapter of service.
