Michael Eshleman
County Attorney
Phone: 505-867-7507
Email: meshleman@sandovalcountynm.gov
What We Do
The Sandoval County Legal Department is dedicated to providing quality legal services to County departments and elected officials. The department's attorneys are committed to professionalism and adherence to the highest ethical standards.
How We Serve You
The Sandoval County Legal Department has three primary areas of responsibility:
- Providing legal advice and services to the Sandoval County Board of Commissioners
- Representing the interests of other Sandoval County elected or appointed officials when those interests are compatible with those of the Board of County Commissioners
- Providing legal advice and services to the various departments within Sandoval County government
- Providing oversight for compliance with the Inspection of Public Records Act
- Overseeing the county's Native American Voting Rights Program
Please note, that because the Legal Department represents county officials, it cannot provide legal advice or services to the general public.
The Legal Department is also responsible for processing Inspection of Public Records Act requests submitted to Sandoval County.
How We Serve You
The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) grants all citizens the right to inspect public records, related to the conduct of government business, at no charge. Sandoval County processes all requests for public records in accordance with New Mexico IPRA regulations.
Sandoval County Notice of Right to Inspect Public Records
The processing time frame for IPRA requests can vary. We always strive to fulfill requests in three days, however, IPRA regulations do allow up to 15 days for processing of requests in most cases.
Sandoval County, in accordance with IPRA regulations, provides for the inspection of public records at no charge. However, the County, also per IPRA regulations, reserves the right to redact personal identifier information in public records and also to charge a fee related to the requested production of physical paper copies of documents or other delivery methods such as electronic documents delivered on CD, USB/Thumb Drives or DVDs. All requesters will be notified in advance of any fees related to their public records copying requests, should they request copies. Payment must be received before copies of records will be created and released. Click here to read through our copy charges policy.
Again, please note that it is free to inspect public records and we will only charge a fee if you request that we make copies of documents for you. In addition, a requester is welcome to utilize their own copying device (such as a cell phone camera or portable scanner) to make their own free copies of responsive documents as long as the document does not leave the County facility where it is being viewed and the document has already been redacted to protect personal identifier information. Please note that documents held with the Clerk’s Office must be redacted prior to release and therefore, the Clerk’s Office does not permit a requester to take a cell phone or other photo of documents which are viewable on their publicly accessible computers.
How to Request Public Records
In an effort to assist with communication and processing of IPRA requests, Sandoval County has an online public records portal. This portal is free to use and allows for submission of requests, tracking of requests, dissemination of responsive records, payment processing and more. You may also request records by clicking on the button below.