Mary Marlowe Sommer
District Court Judge
1st Judicial District
Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe Counties
Year: 2020
Evaluation: Overall, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s scores were mixed. The court staff and resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) rated her positively. Attorneys gave her low ratings for not always treating all participants equally and for not always displaying fairness and impartiality toward each side of the case. They also gave her low ratings when it comes to being courteous to all participants and demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench. During Judge Marlowe Sommer’s interview, she displayed a sincere awareness of her deficiencies and a willingness to improve. Following her initial interview, Judge Marlowe Sommer took concrete steps to improve her demeanor in court and to address perceptions related to her appearance of fairness. In light of her significant efforts to address these issues, the Commission recommends that Judge Marlowe Sommer be retained.
Experience & Education: Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer was appointed to the District Court in April 2010 and elected November 2010. Prior to the appointment, she worked as a Child Support Hearing Officer, criminal and juvenile defense attorney, and an Assistant Attorney General for the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Judge Marlowe Sommer received her undergraduate degree from James Madison University and her law degree from George Mason School of Law in 1983.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=62, 37% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 56% | 15% | 29% |
| Fair and Impartial | 43% | 22% | 35% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 44% | 29% | 27% |
| Communication is Clear | 51% | 25% | 24% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 30% | 24% | 46% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 70% | 13% | 16% |
| Court Staff (n=30, 40% 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 | 61% | 26% | 13% |
| Jurors (n=49, 35% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 98% | 0% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | 97% | 1% | 2% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 96% | 1% | 3% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 97% | 1% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Resource Staff (n=48) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 70% | 7% | 22% |
| Communication is Clear | 74% | 11% | 15% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 63% | 19% | 19% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 81% | 15% | 4% |
| 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.