Louis P. McDonald
District Court Judge
13th Judicial District
Cibola, Sandoval, and Valencia Counties
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Louis McDonald rated quite positively with attorneys for his ability to decisively rule on procedural and substantive matters, maintaining proper control over the proceedings, being attentive to the proceedings, and ensuring that his personal staff is professional, productive and knowledgeable. The court staff rated Judge McDonald positively on all survey attributes. The resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) gave Judge McDonald somewhat lower scores when it comes to being punctual in commencing proceedings, promptly setting hearings and trials, and displaying fairness and impartiality toward each side of the case. In his interview, Judge McDonald stated that he is committed to making thoughtful decisions and improving the efficient handling of the caseload in his district.
Experience & Education: Judge McDonald was appointed and elected as a District Court Judge in 1992. Judge McDonald presently serves as the Chief Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District. Prior to this, he practiced law for 10 years. Judge McDonald received his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University and his law degree from St. Mary’s University in 1982.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=120, 37% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 84% | 13% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 79% | 13% | 8% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 82% | 13% | 5% |
| Communication is Clear | 81% | 15% | 4% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 86% | 8% | 6% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 93% | 7% | 0% |
| Court Staff (n=48, 65% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Communication is Clear | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Respects Court Employees | 76% | 14% | 10% |
| Jurors (n=44, 46% 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% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 54% | 12% | 34% |
| Communication is Clear | 56% | 22% | 22% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 51% | 24% | 24% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 68% | 23% | 9% |
| 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.