Benjamin Chavez
Metropolitan Court Judge
Bernalillo County
Year: 2010
Evaluation: Attorneys and court employees rated Judge Benjamin Chavez very favorably on this evaluation. For example, attorneys rated Judge Chavez highly for demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench, being courteous to all participants, for conducting himself in a manner free from impropriety, being attentive to the proceedings, and for treating self-represented litigants fairly. The court staff and jurors also rated Judge Chavez highly on all attributes. Based on his interview, the Commission concluded he is committed to excellence.
Experience & Education: Judge Chavez has served as a Metropolitan Court Judge since October 2004. Prior to appointment, he was in private practice, a Taos Assistant District Attorney, a Bernalillo County Assistant District Attorney, and an Albuquerque Assistant City Attorney. In addition to his full docket, he presides over the Metropolitan Court Homeless Court, and is a Board Member of the District and Metropolitan Judges Association and a Supreme Court appointee of two committees. He is a graduate from the University of New Mexico and the University of New Mexico School of Law.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=222, 87.4% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 91% | 7% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 88% | 6% | 6% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 82% | 15% | 3% |
| Communication is Clear | 87% | 12% | 1% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 95% | 3% | 1% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 93% | 4% | 3% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=80, 58% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 87% | 12% | 1% |
| Communication is Clear | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Respects Court Employees | 95% | 4% | 1% |
| Jurors (n=8, 38% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
* On the tables above, 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. "N/A" indicates that the category is "not applicable" because some populations were not asked certain questions.
PERCENTAGE THAT RECOMMEND THE JUDGE BE RETAINED OR NOT BE RETAINED IN OFFICE. ‡
‡ On the charts above, the "Retain" columns are comprised of the strongly recommend retain and somewhat recommend retain responses. Similarly, the "Do Not Retain" columns are comprised of the strongly recommend not retain and somewhat recommend not retain responses.