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2012 News Articles › NCBA Releases Judicial Performance Evaluation Report
NCBA Releases Judicial Performance Evaluation Report
Article Date: Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Written By: Russell Rawlings
The North Carolina Bar Association today announced the
publication of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Report for
District and Superior Court judges eligible for election in 2012.
The report has been posted online at www.ncbar.org, where it is easily
accessible under the heading "Judicial Performance Evaluation."
Click
here for direct access to the report.
A total of 168 trial court judges were evaluated last year. More
than 4,200 attorneys participated in the survey, providing more
than 27,700 individual judicial evaluations.
The survey was administered by the NCBA's Judicial Performance
Evaluation Committee, under the direction of former N.C. Supreme
Court Chief Justice Rhoda Billings, chair, and former District
Court Judge Nancy Norelli, vice chair.
Release of the JPE Report breaks new ground for North Carolina
in that this is the first time voters throughout the state will
have access to evaluations of both Superior Court and District
Court judges who are seeking election. Previous pilot surveys
conducted by the NCBA were not released to the public, and the only
other known statewide survey conducted by the N.C.Center for Public
Policy Research in 1980 only included appellate jurists and
Superior Court judges.
The JPE Committee conducted its survey in May 2011, during which
17 Superior Court judges and 151 District Court judges were
evaluated by North Carolina lawyers who had appeared before or had
professional contact with the judge. From a total of 168 judges who
were evaluated, those who have died, retired or otherwise indicated
they will not seek election in 2012 were excluded from the
published report.
Attorneys rated judges from one through five in six categories:
integrity and impartiality, legal ability, professionalism,
communication, administrative skills and overall performance.
Corresponding assessment values for each rating are as follows: 5
(excellent), 4 (good), 3 (average), 2 (below average) and 1
(poor).
A companion evaluation of candidates who file in February to
oppose incumbent judges who have been evaluated by the JPE
Committee will be conducted in March by the NCBA's Administration
of Justice Committee. The results of this survey will be released
and available for voter review in April in advance of the May
primary and before November's general election.
In addition to both sets of survey results, biographical
snapshots of evaluated candidates from both surveys who provide the
information to the NCBA will appear on the NCBA website in an
online voter's guide. The published report will include the results
for all judges who were evaluated in the survey with the exception
of those who are deceased, retiring or who have otherwise indicated
they will not seek election in 2012.
Associated Press
Beaufort Observer
Boone (Watauga Democrat)
Burlington Times-News
Charlotte Observer
Durham Herald Sun
Durham Herald Sun
Fayetteville
Greensboro News Record
Shelby Star
News & Observer
Wilmington Star-News
Winston-Salem Journal