285:
appointed Baca to a seat on the New Mexico Second
Judicial District Court, to which Baca was then reelected three times, to full six-year terms, in 1972, 1978 and 1984. He held various positions in the District Court, including administrative judge of the children's court, presiding judge and the
286:
administrative judge of the
Bernalillo County grand jury, serving in his last term as chief district judge. As a district court judge, Baca "was known for being tough on criminals", being given the nickname "Maximum Joe" for imposing long sentences.
264:
in 1964. He worked as a law clerk in the New Mexico
Highway Department from 1964 to 1965, and as an assistant district attorney in Santa Fe from 1965 to 1966, thereafter entering private practice in Albuquerque until 1972. He later received an
336:
to hold the seat until Frost's own planned resignation as of May 31, 1994, to seek cancer treatment. Baca thereafter resumed the office and completed his term as chief justice on
January 1, 1997, and was succeeded in the role by Justice
356:
was temporarily appointed to Baca's seat pending the election of a successor. Baca indicated that he would continue working in mediation and arbitration, for which he had attended a program in
California the previous year.
331:
would resign from the court due to health issues, and that Baca would succeed
Montgomery as chief justice as of October 1, 1994. In April 1994, Baca temporarily stepped down as chief justice to allow fellow justice
224:
from
January 1, 1989 to July 31, 2002, serving as chief justice from 1994 to 1996. He has engaged in various other avenues of public service at the state and national levels, and in 1994 was recommended by the
365:
On June 28, 1969, Baca married
Dorothy Lee Burrow of Las Vegas, with whom he has three daughters and five grandchildren. The couple were noted to have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019.
289:
In 1988, Baca received the
Democratic nomination for a seat on the state supreme court, and was elected to an eight-year term that November, handily defeating Republican opponent Ken McDaniel.
320:. While serving on the court, Baca was also active in other areas of public service. In 1994, he was awarded the J. William Fulbright Distinguished Public Service Award. He was twice named by
352:. On May 2, 2002, Baca announced his retirement from the court, effective July 31 of that year, noting that he would at that point have surpassed thirty years of judicial service.
837:
842:
245:, Baca attended St. Mary's High School in Albuquerque. As a youth, he "decided he wanted to become a lawyer after hearing a radio speech by the late Sen.
333:
847:
799:
353:
114:
789:
827:
832:
261:
194:
270:
203:
709:
689:
655:
621:
604:
587:
570:
550:
526:
502:
476:
454:
446:
672:
746:
510:
297:
230:
638:
348:
committee for the accreditation of law schools. In 1999, Baca was elected to the national board of directors for the
293:
226:
159:
422:
852:
383:
349:
316:
for the
Supreme Court seat, Clinton did nominate Baca to serve as one of the eleven directors of the
726:
345:
253:
221:
185:
79:
36:
317:
242:
149:
822:
817:
8:
341:. Baca was retained for another eight-year term in the November 1996 general election.
328:
220:(born October 1, 1936) is a New Mexico lawyer and judge who served as a justice of the
59:
782:
766:
338:
102:
71:
189:
246:
313:
301:
312:
endorsing this recommendation. Although Clinton chose federal appellate judge
811:
305:
399:
309:
257:
198:
282:
324:
as one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in the United States.
327:
In September 1994, it was announced that New Mexico Chief Justice
266:
296:
recommended Baca as a potential nominee for the seat on the
710:
Two state high court justices announce plans to retire soon
767:
Joseph F. Baca in the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame
551:
Employee of the quarter saved state agency $ 400,000
236:
605:
State High Court Judge Picked for Justice Institute
809:
673:Justices' Split Stalls Proposal For Leave Policy
252:Baca received an undergraduate degree from the
838:George Washington University Law School alumni
741:
739:
229:as a potential nominee for appointment to the
704:
702:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
571:Baca Keeps High Court Exclusively Democratic
843:University of Virginia School of Law alumni
736:
545:
543:
541:
539:
699:
486:
690:Gambling foe easily retains judicial seat
441:
439:
437:
435:
417:
415:
413:
848:Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court
536:
471:
469:
467:
465:
463:
92:January 1, 1989 – July 31, 2002
790:Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court
262:George Washington University Law School
195:George Washington University Law School
810:
565:
563:
432:
410:
388:. Marquis Who's Who. 1994. p. 34.
460:
300:vacated by the retirement of Justice
521:
519:
385:Who's Who in American Law, 1994-1995
271:University of Virginia School of Law
204:University of Virginia School of Law
828:People from Albuquerque, New Mexico
560:
344:In 1998, Baca was appointed to the
276:
13:
656:Justice Frost to serve through May
298:Supreme Court of the United States
231:Supreme Court of the United States
14:
864:
760:
516:
294:Hispanic National Bar Association
237:Early life, education, and career
227:Hispanic National Bar Association
360:
833:University of New Mexico alumni
719:
682:
665:
648:
631:
622:Clinton wants state's top judge
614:
597:
580:
392:
376:
1:
369:
645:(September 20, 1994), p. A3.
509:(February 15, 1998), p. B1,
7:
727:Barber, Bosson Vie for Seat
350:American Judicature Society
10:
869:
733:(October 27, 2002), p. B4.
696:(November 6, 1996), p. A6.
557:(August 29, 1999), p. E-8.
322:Hispanic Business Magazine
16:American judge (born 1936)
796:
787:
779:
774:
679:(January 1, 1997), p. D3.
628:(August 19, 1994), p. B5.
611:(August 19, 1994), p. 3D.
577:(November 9, 1988), p. 2.
445:Charlotte Balcomb Lane, "
400:"State Justice Institute"
210:
181:
173:
165:
155:
129:
124:
120:
108:
96:
85:
77:
65:
53:
42:
34:
30:
23:
694:The Santa Fe New Mexican
660:The Santa Fe New Mexican
626:The Santa Fe New Mexican
594:(April 16, 1994), p. D3.
588:No Word From White House
555:The Santa Fe New Mexican
533:(April 19, 1994), p. B4.
531:The Santa Fe New Mexican
503:Hispanic Justice Honored
453:(July 19, 2002), p. D1,
447:Retiring justice honored
346:American Bar Association
254:University of New Mexico
222:New Mexico Supreme Court
186:University of New Mexico
80:New Mexico Supreme Court
37:New Mexico Supreme Court
753:(June 19, 2019), p. B6.
714:The Albuquerque Tribune
643:The Albuquerque Tribune
639:Chief justice to retire
318:State Justice Institute
256:in 1960, followed by a
243:Albuquerque, New Mexico
150:Albuquerque, New Mexico
671:Guillermo Contreras, "
483:(June 3, 1988), p. 15.
475:Kenneth S. McDaniel, "
429:(May 22, 1988), p. C3.
716:(May 3, 2002), p. A7.
35:Chief Justice of the
853:New Mexico Democrats
662:(April 2, 1996), B3.
549:Gussie Fauntleroy, "
481:The Deming Headlight
751:Albuquerque Journal
747:Anniversaries: Baca
731:Albuquerque Journal
677:Albuquerque Journal
609:Albuquerque Journal
592:Albuquerque Journal
575:Albuquerque Journal
507:Albuquerque Journal
501:Judy Giannettino, "
477:State Supreme Court
451:Albuquerque Journal
427:Albuquerque Journal
308:wrote to President
218:Joseph Francis Baca
134:Joseph Francis Baca
25:Joseph Francis Baca
775:Political offices
329:Seth D. Montgomery
281:In 1972, Governor
169:Dorothy Lee Burrow
60:Seth D. Montgomery
806:
805:
797:Succeeded by
783:Mary Coon Walters
569:Leah Beth Ward, "
339:Gene E. Franchini
214:
213:
103:Mary Coon Walters
72:Gene E. Franchini
860:
780:Preceded by
772:
771:
754:
743:
734:
723:
717:
706:
697:
686:
680:
669:
663:
652:
646:
635:
629:
618:
612:
601:
595:
584:
578:
567:
558:
547:
534:
527:Faces and Places
523:
514:
499:
484:
473:
458:
443:
430:
419:
408:
407:
396:
390:
389:
380:
334:Stanley F. Frost
277:Judicial service
147:
143:
141:
125:Personal details
111:
99:
90:
68:
56:
47:
21:
20:
868:
867:
863:
862:
861:
859:
858:
857:
808:
807:
802:
800:Paul J. Kennedy
793:
785:
763:
758:
757:
744:
737:
724:
720:
707:
700:
687:
683:
670:
666:
653:
649:
636:
632:
619:
615:
602:
598:
585:
581:
568:
561:
548:
537:
524:
517:
500:
487:
474:
461:
444:
433:
420:
411:
398:
397:
393:
382:
381:
377:
372:
363:
354:Paul J. Kennedy
279:
239:
216:
202:
193:
156:Political party
148:
145:
144:October 1, 1936
139:
137:
136:
135:
115:Paul J. Kennedy
109:
97:
91:
86:
78:Justice of the
66:
54:
48:
43:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
866:
856:
855:
850:
845:
840:
835:
830:
825:
820:
804:
803:
798:
795:
786:
781:
777:
776:
770:
769:
762:
761:External links
759:
756:
755:
735:
725:David Miles, "
718:
698:
681:
664:
647:
630:
613:
596:
579:
559:
535:
515:
485:
459:
431:
409:
391:
374:
373:
371:
368:
362:
359:
314:Stephen Breyer
302:Harry Blackmun
278:
275:
238:
235:
212:
211:
208:
207:
183:
179:
178:
175:
171:
170:
167:
163:
162:
157:
153:
152:
133:
131:
127:
126:
122:
121:
118:
117:
112:
106:
105:
100:
94:
93:
83:
82:
75:
74:
69:
63:
62:
57:
51:
50:
40:
39:
32:
31:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
865:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
823:Living people
821:
819:
816:
815:
813:
801:
792:
791:
784:
778:
773:
768:
765:
764:
752:
748:
742:
740:
732:
728:
722:
715:
711:
705:
703:
695:
691:
685:
678:
674:
668:
661:
657:
651:
644:
640:
634:
627:
623:
617:
610:
606:
600:
593:
589:
583:
576:
572:
566:
564:
556:
552:
546:
544:
542:
540:
532:
528:
522:
520:
512:
508:
504:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
482:
478:
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
456:
452:
448:
442:
440:
438:
436:
428:
424:
418:
416:
414:
405:
401:
395:
387:
386:
379:
375:
367:
361:Personal life
358:
355:
351:
347:
342:
340:
335:
330:
325:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
306:Jeff Bingaman
303:
299:
295:
292:In 1994, the
290:
287:
284:
274:
272:
268:
263:
259:
255:
250:
248:
247:Dennis Chávez
244:
234:
232:
228:
223:
219:
209:
205:
200:
196:
191:
187:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
161:
158:
154:
151:
146:(age 87)
132:
128:
123:
119:
116:
113:
107:
104:
101:
95:
89:
84:
81:
76:
73:
70:
64:
61:
58:
52:
46:
41:
38:
33:
29:
22:
19:
788:
750:
730:
721:
713:
693:
684:
676:
667:
659:
650:
642:
633:
625:
616:
608:
599:
591:
582:
574:
554:
530:
506:
480:
450:
426:
403:
394:
384:
378:
364:
343:
326:
321:
310:Bill Clinton
291:
288:
280:
251:
240:
217:
215:
110:Succeeded by
87:
67:Succeeded by
44:
18:
818:1936 births
423:Joseph Baca
404:www.sji.gov
273:, in 1992.
98:Preceded by
55:Preceded by
812:Categories
794:1989–2002
370:References
304:. Senator
283:Bruce King
160:Democratic
140:1936-10-01
269:from the
260:from the
182:Education
88:In office
49:1994–1996
45:In office
241:Born in
174:Children
166:Spouse
267:LL.M.
206:(LLM)
258:J.D.
130:Born
749:",
729:",
712:",
692:",
675:",
658:",
641:",
624:",
607:",
590:",
573:",
553:",
529:",
505:",
479:",
449:".
425:",
249:".
814::
738:^
701:^
562:^
538:^
518:^
511:B5
488:^
462:^
455:D2
434:^
412:^
402:.
233:.
199:JD
190:BA
142:)
745:"
708:"
688:"
654:"
637:"
620:"
603:"
586:"
525:"
513:.
457:.
421:"
406:.
201:)
197:(
192:)
188:(
177:3
138:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.