Rachel Irene Walker Al-Yasi
Metropolitan Court Judge
Bernalillo County
Year: 2010
Evaluation: Judge Walker Al-Yasi received low scores in all areas surveyed. Among attorneys, she scored poorly, particularly in judicial demeanor on the bench, arrogance, treating participants equally, displaying a sense of fairness, exercising sound legal reasoning, and communicating oral decisions in a clear, thorough and logical manner. In addition, her scores among the court staff were somewhat lower than the other judges in Metro Court. Judge Walker Al-Yasi received an interim evaluation in 2008 and the Commission made recommendations for improvement. Despite the suggested recommendations for improvement, her scores declined further in 2010. After considering the survey results, the court observations, and her interview, the Commission concluded that her lack of improvement from 2008 to 2010 reflects a lack of dedication to improving her performance on the bench.
Experience & Education: Judge Rachel Walker Al-Yasi was elected to the position in November 2006. Prior to her judicial appointment, she was employed as an assistant district attorney. She serves as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Judge Walker Al-Yasi earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and her law degree from St. Mary's Law School.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=186, 79.8% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 37% | 26% | 37% |
| Fair and Impartial | 31% | 23% | 46% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 37% | 26% | 37% |
| Communication is Clear | 29% | 28% | 43% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 26% | 23% | 50% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 38% | 33% | 29% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=56, 57.7% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 44% | 27% | 29% |
| Communication is Clear | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Respects Court Employees | 58% | 22% | 20% |
| Jurors (n=9, 22% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 89% | 0% | 11% |
| Fair and Impartial | 88% | 3% | 9% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 94% | 3% | 3% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 88% | 0% | 12% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 89% | 0% | 11% |
| 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.