Karen L. Townsend
District Court Judge
11th Judicial District --
McKinley and San Juan Counties
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Karen Townsend's results from the various groups surveyed are quite positive. Results have been consistently positive or have shown improvement from prior evaluations in 2011 and 2007. Particularly noted by attorneys were high scores for attentiveness and proper control in proceedings, as well as promptness and punctuality in conducting court business. The court staff rate Judge Townsend highly in all areas and the resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) rate her positively for being attentive to the proceedings, behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts, and for being courteous to all participants.
Experience & Education: Judge Townsend was appointed to the bench in 2006 and works primarily from the San Juan County courthouse in Aztec, NM, specializing in civil, domestic and mental health issues. She received her undergraduate degree from Fort Lewis College in Colorado and she received a law degree in 1990 from Syracuse University, NY. Prior to appointment to the Court, she worked in private practice including time as the City Attorney in Aztec and was the Domestic Violence Hearing Officer for the 11th Judicial District Court.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=92, 56% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 88% | 9% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 87% | 9% | 4% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 83% | 10% | 7% |
| Communication is Clear | 85% | 10% | 5% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 90% | 6% | 4% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 94% | 3% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=45, 61% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 4% | 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 | 92% | 4% | 4% |
| Jurors (n=25, 35% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 97% | 3% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 97% | 1% | 2% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 95% | 5% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 84% | 11% | 5% |
| Fair and Impartial | 74% | 13% | 13% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 85% | 12% | 3% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 83% | 12% | 5% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 88% | 10% | 2% |
| 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.