William Edward Parnall is an American lawyer and judge who practiced criminal, juvenile-defense, and personal-injury law before joining the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico in 2007. He has served in its Children’s Court Division, helped lead the New Mexico Tribal-State Judicial Consortium, and created a family-reunification drug court.
Background
William Edward Parnall was born on April 17, 1953, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Edward and Angelina Parnall. He was raised in Albuquerque's South Valley and attended Atrisco Elementary School and John Adams Junior High. His professional life has remained closely connected with the city and with New Mexico's legal institutions.
Parnall married Kathleen Marie Hanna on November 8, 1975. His background also includes a longstanding interest in music: while studying law, he helped form the country-western and rock-and-roll band Lawyers, Guns, and Money, performing as a rhythm guitarist and harmonica player. He later played harmonica with the band Incredible Woodpeckers and has been described as fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
Education
Parnall attended Atrisco Elementary School and John Adams Junior High in Albuquerque before entering the University of New Mexico. The University of New Mexico, founded in 1889, is the state's principal public research university and has long served as a major center of higher education in Albuquerque.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1979. The law school, established in 1947, is New Mexico's principal public legal-education institution and has emphasized preparation for practice in the state's courts and communities. The law school's faculty certified Parnall as having completed the requirements for the Juris Doctor in July 1979.
Career
Parnall was admitted to the New Mexico bar in 1979 and subsequently qualified for practice before the New Mexico Supreme Court. He also received admission to the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 1988.
He worked as an assistant public defender in Albuquerque from 1980 to 1986. The New Mexico Public Defender Department provides representation to people unable to afford counsel, and Parnall's early practice developed within that public-service legal environment. He entered private practice in Albuquerque in 1987, handling criminal defense, juvenile law, personal-injury matters, and related trial work. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1989 and as a professor connected with a United States Agency for International Development project for Peru in 1993.
In November 2007, Governor Bill Richardson appointed Parnall to the Children’s Court Division of the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico. He subsequently won election to the judgeship and has served in Division I in Albuquerque. The Second Judicial District Court serves Bernalillo County and includes a specialized Children's Court Division handling juvenile delinquency, abuse and neglect, and adoption proceedings.
As a judge, Parnall has participated in programs addressing the relationship between substance abuse, family stability, and child welfare. He created the Bernalillo County Family Reunification Drug Court, a judicially managed and community-based program intended to support the safety and permanence of children while helping eligible parents pursue rehabilitation and reunification. He was also appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court as co-chair of the New Mexico Tribal-State Judicial Consortium, which promotes cooperation and communication between tribal and state judges.
Achievements
Created the Bernalillo County Family Reunification Drug Court, a court-supervised and community-based program designed to support rehabilitation, child safety, and earlier family reunification in eligible abuse-and-neglect cases.
Served as co-chair of the New Mexico Tribal-State Judicial Consortium, promoting relationships and cooperation between tribal and state judges throughout New Mexico.
Politics
Parnall's public career has centered on judicial service in New Mexico rather than party leadership. His work has focused on criminal defense, juvenile law, personal-injury practice, and children's court, where judicial proceedings address matters including abuse and neglect, adoption, and juvenile delinquency. His service reflects the role of state courts in applying law, protecting legal rights, and administering specialized proceedings for children and families.
Views
Parnall's documented judicial work reflects an emphasis on the welfare and permanence of children, family reunification, and the use of community-based services alongside court supervision. His Family Reunification Drug Court initiative treats rehabilitation and stable family relationships as relevant to the safety and well-being of children.
Membership
Parnall has served on the New Mexico Tribal-State Judicial Consortium, a forum created to strengthen relationships between tribal and state courts throughout New Mexico. His appointment connected his work in the Second Judicial District Court with broader judicial cooperation concerning tribal-state relations.
Served as a state judicial member and co-chair.
New Mexico Tribal-State Judicial Consortium
,
United States
2012 - present
Personality
Parnall has been described in judicial evaluations and professional profiles as courteous, approachable, and attentive to cultural diversity. His public judicial work has emphasized professional conduct, communication, and the welfare of children and families.
Quotes from others about the person
A 2014 New Mexico judicial performance evaluation reported that attorneys rated Parnall positively for appropriate demeanor, courtroom control, integrity, fairness, and clear communication, while court staff and resource personnel gave generally positive assessments of his performance.
Interests
Music, songwriting, guitar, and harmonica performance.
Music & Bands
Parnall has performed country-western and rock-and-roll music as a rhythm guitarist and harmonica player. He helped form Lawyers, Guns, and Money while attending law school and later played harmonica with Incredible Woodpeckers.
Connections
Parnall is the son of Edward Parnall and Angelina Parnall. He married Kathleen Marie Hanna on November 8, 1975.
