[3] He was elected as a judge for the equity and criminal court in the First Judicial District of Kentucky in 1856 and served until 1860.

[2] Trimble served three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1865 to 1870 as a Democrat for the 1st Congressional District of Kentucky.

In 1879, Trimble moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he continued the practice of law and again entered politics.

He was the only Democrat elected to the New Mexico Constitutional Convention of 1889 where he represented Bernalillo County and gave the opening address.

Trimble died in Albuquerque, August 9, 1904, and was buried in the Fairview Cemetery off of Yale Boulevard.