The Honorable Benjamin S. Cross
9th Judicial District
Curry and Roosevelt Counties
Evaluation: Overall, Judge Benjamin S. Cross’ evaluation was quite positive. Attorneys rated him highly for being attentive to the proceedings, being prepared for court proceedings, treating self-represented parties fairly, and for oral decisions/communications being clear and thorough. In addition, court staff and resource staff (e.g., law enforcement officers, CASA volunteers, CYFD, interpreters, etc.) rated him positively in all areas.
Experience & Education: Prior to his appointment to the district court bench in 2021, Judge Benjamin S. Cross worked as a District Attorney in the 9th Judicial District, having served in that capacity from 2011 to 2021. He also served as a prosecuting attorney with the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office from 2006 to 2011. Judge Cross received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and completed his law degree at the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2006.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUSTICE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY
The “Agree” columns are comprised of the strongly agree and agree responses. Similarly, the “Disagree” columns are comprised of the strongly disagree and disagree responses. The combined percentage of “Agree”, “Disagree”, and “Partly Agree/Partly Disagree” for each category may not equal 100% due to rounding error. Some of the percentages that are reported in the above categories are an average of more than one question that appeared on the survey.
| Attorneys (n=31, 37% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree / Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 90% | 3% | 6% |
| Fair and Impartial | 90% | 3% | 7% |
| Application/Knowledge of Law | 87% | 9% | 4% |
| Communication Is Clear | 90% | 8% | 2% |
| Professional Demeanor | 90% | 3% | 6% |
| Preparation and Attentiveness | 91% | 4% | 4% |
| Court Staff (n=23) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree / Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Professional Demeanor | 70% | 9% | 22% |
| Respects Court Employees | 70% | 4% | 26% |
| Resource Staff (n=13) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree / Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Communication Is Clear | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Professional Demeanor | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Preparation and Attentiveness | 100% | 0% | 0% |
