I am C. J. McElhinney and since 2003 I have been an attorney in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I was born in New York City, moved to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania as a child, and joined the United States Marine Corps in 1992. I attended recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and then served as a Marine infantryman. I moved to Las Cruces in 1996 and attended New Mexico State University using my G.I. Bill benefits. I graduated from NMSU with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government in 2000. I spent the next three years at the University of New Mexico School of Law and earned my Juris Doctorate from there in 2003 and passed the New Mexico bar shortly thereafter.

I have represented thousands of clients at all levels of the New Mexico court system. I practice primarily in the areas of criminal defense, family law, personal injury, and civil rights. I sometimes take cases outside of those practice areas, such as general civil litigation, business formation, landlord/tenant, and enforcement of public records requests. For more information on my legal services, check out those sections on my website or contact my office.

I have been involved in numerous high profile cases throughout my career.  In April, 2022, I obtained a directed verdict of acquittal in the Voluntary Manslaughter trial of Corban Serna. I represented MMA Fighter Joe Torrez the New Years 2014 Home Invasion Case, for which Joe was eventually exonerated. I represented Blas Gutierrez in the notorious Columbus Gun Smuggling case in 2011. I have represented Robert “Baby Rob” Martinez in the Syndicato Nuevo Mexico (SNM) case, one of the largest federal prosecutions in the United States. I represented the Las Cruces Sun News in 2014 when it sued the New Mexico Department of Health to force the disclosure of public records regarding a controversial audit of payments to New Mexico’s mental health system. I have successfully litigated numerous other Inspection of Public Records lawsuits against various New Mexico state agencies including the New Mexico Spaceport, the Administrative Office of the District Attorneys, and the Third Judicial District Attorney’s office. I have also litigated several appeals and have the privilege of having argued a case before the entire New Mexico Supreme Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  My experience in the legal profession reflects a broad variety of cases that provides special insight and which helps me effectively represent my clients.

It is not just these cases I am proud of, but also the thousands of other clients I have helped over the years. Whether it’s to defend someone wrongfully accused of a crime, helping the right parent win custody of their children, or making sure an accident victim receives just compensation for their injuries, when you hire me, your legal problems become my problems.

I live in Las Cruces. I fell in love with New Mexico when I first visited in 1994 and I love living here in southern New Mexico. When I am not practicing law, I like to travel, hike, and explore the world around me. I have one more Hawaiian island to visit–Molokai–and then I will have visited all the major islands in the chain.