The New Mexico Judge Who Presided Over Alec Baldwin's Trial Is Set To Retire

A New Mexico state district judge who presided over the widely publicized trial of actor Alec Baldwin for a fatal movie set shooting is getting ready to retire from the bench.

Court administrators announced Mary Marlowe Sommer's upcoming retirement on Thursday. She will step down at the end of May after serving 15 years on the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She served as the district's chief judge from 2019 to 2022.

Her decades-long career also includes work as a law clerk, a defense attorney, an assistant attorney general and a hearing officer who has handled thousands of cases involving domestic violence and family matters.

Marlowe Sommer said it's been an honor and privilege to serve but that it's time to step away from what she called "the hectic schedule of court business."

"During my time on the bench, I have admired and deeply appreciated those who work so hard each day to ensure the court delivers the fair and timely justice that people are entitled to in our legal system," she said in a statement.