Sandra J. Clinton
Metropolitan Court Judge
Bernalillo County
Year: 2010
Evaluation: Overall, Judge Sandra Clinton received positive ratings from all of the groups surveyed for this evaluation. Attorneys rated her positively for maintaining proper control over proceedings, being attentive to proceedings, ensuring personal staff is professional and knowledgeable, and for being courteous to all participants. In addition, the court staff and jurors rated her highly on all attributes. In her interview, Judge Clinton indicated that she has moved from the criminal bench to the civil bench, and she has indicated a commitment to further improving her judicial performance.
Experience & Education: Judge Clinton was appointed to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in 1999. Prior to her appointment, she served for five years as an assistant district attorney in Bernalillo County, and several years in private practice focusing on juvenile justice and criminal law. She is actively involved in community and professional organizations. Judge Clinton received her undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University and her law degree from the University of Utah.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=198, 80.8% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 84% | 9% | 7% |
| Fair and Impartial | 71% | 17% | 11% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 74% | 19% | 6% |
| Communication is Clear | 80% | 16% | 4% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 85% | 10% | 5% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 93% | 5% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=86, 63.2% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 95% | 5% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Respects Court Employees | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Jurors (n=20, 26% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 99% | 1% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 99% | 1% | 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.