JD Herrera is an attorney licensed by the New Mexico Supreme Court to practice law in all courts of the State of New Mexico. Licensed since 1978, JD served as an Assistant District Attorney in Albuquerque in the adult felony trial team #1 division. He then served as an Assistant District Attorney/Special Prosecutor in Santa Fe for the New Mexico Penitentiary riot homicides.
In the mid-1980’s, he served as an Albuquerque Assistant City Attorney, trial division, defending civil lawsuits filed against the City of Albuquerque. In private practice since 1985, he has focused primarily on criminal defense. In 1991, he was among the very first attorneys in New Mexico to be recognized by the then newly-created Board of Legal Specialization as a criminal trial specialist. As an Assistant D.A., he tried by jury, virtually every type of criminal offense from homicide to drugs including a death penalty homicide at the state level. He has been selected as a SuperLawer of the Southwest.
As a criminal defense attorney, he has defended all types of criminal offenses ranging from homicides and complex RICO actions to drug and white collar offenses at the state and federal levels. He has successfully defended four federal death penalty homicides. Though he continues to practice criminal defense law as a board-certified criminal defense trial specialist, JD also practices aviation law, personal injury law, and film and television law.
He is a member of the following associations:
- U.S. Supreme Court Bar
- N.M. Supreme Court Bar
- U.S. District Court Bar – New Mexico
- U.S. Court of Appeals Bar -4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals Bar–9th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals Bar–10th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals Bar–D.C. Circuit
- Federal Bar of New Mexico
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Bar
- Lawyer-Pilots Bar
- Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel
- Litigation Of Counsel to Stetson Law Offices, P.C.
- New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization, Immediate past chairman
- Criminal Trial Specialization Committee, chairman
- N.M. Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Super Lawyers of the Southwest
- Sigma Chi Association of the University of New Mexico, immediate past president
- Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (private pilot since 1972)