Geraldine E. Rivera
District Court Judge
2nd Judicial District --
Bernalillo County
Year: 2008
Evaluation: Judge Rivera's scores are somewhat mixed. For instance, among attorneys, she scored well on being punctual in commencing proceedings, maintaining control over her courtroom, and ruling on motions or cases in a timely manner. The court staff rated Judge Rivera positively for being punctual in commencing proceedings and for ensuring her personal staff is professional, productive and knowledgeable. In addition, the resource staff (e.g. law enforcement officers, CASA volunteers, etc.) rated the judge highly for being attentive to the proceedings and maintaining proper control over the courtroom. However, attorneys rated Judge Rivera somewhat lower when it comes to displaying a sense of fairness and being courteous to all participants. Also, the court staff rated her somewhat lower for not always respecting all court employees and for not always respecting and cooperating with other judges. It should be pointed out that Judge Rivera has improved many of her scores since previous evaluations in 2005 and 2001.
Experience & Education: Judge Rivera was appointed District Court Judge in July 1997 and elected in November 1998. She presides over civil cases. Prior to being appointed, she worked in private practice and served as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals. Judge Rivera is also a member of the State Bar of New Mexico, Albuquerque Bar Association and the National Women's Judges Association. She received her undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of New Mexico.