James  Wechsler
The Honorable

James Wechsler

Court of Appeals Judge
Statewide

Year: 2014

Recommendation: Retain

Election Results: Retained

Evaluation: Judge Jim Wechsler's scores are quite positive. Attorneys rated him quite positively for demonstrating appropriate demeanor, rendering opinions without regard to possible public criticism, and conducting himself in a manner free from impropriety. In addition, the court staff rated him very highly for behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts, being a hard worker, and for his knowledge of the law. The appellate judges and district judges rated Judge Wechsler highly in all areas.

Experience & Education: Judge Wechsler was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 1994 and elected in 1996. He currently serves as the Water Adjudication Judge. Judge Wechsler is a member of the First Judicial District Bar Association and the Oliver Seth Inn of Court. Before assuming the bench, he worked in private practice and as an assistant attorney general in the New Mexico Attorney General's Office. Judge Wechsler received his undergraduate degree in 1966 and his law degree in 1969 from New York University.

PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *

Attorneys (n=106, 30% Response Rate)
Category Agree Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree Disagree
Exhibits Integrity 93% 5% 2%
Fair and Impartial 87% 11% 2%
Knowledgeable of Law 81% 14% 5%
Respects Court Employees N/A N/A N/A
Appropriate Demeanor 99% 1% 0%
Timeliness of Rulings 88% 8% 4%
Handles Ongoing Workload N/A N/A N/A
Court Staff (n=55, 59% Response Rate)
Category Agree Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree Disagree
Exhibits Integrity 95% 5% 0%
Respects Court Employees 88% 6% 6%
Timeliness of Rulings 92% 8% 0%
Handles Ongoing Workload 90% 10% 0%
Appellate Judges (n=14, 93% Response Rate)
Category Agree Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree Disagree
Exhibits Integrity 100% 0% 0%
Fair and Impartial 100% 0% 0%
Knowledgeable of Law 100% 0% 0%
Respects Court Employees 100% 0% 0%
Appropriate Demeanor 100% 0% 0%
Timeliness of Rulings 100% 0% 0%
Handles Ongoing Workload 100% 0% 0%
District Judges (n=50, 58% Response Rate)
Category Agree Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree Disagree
Exhibits Integrity 96% 2% 2%
Fair and Impartial N/A N/A N/A
Knowledgeable of Law 94% 6% 0%
Respects Court Employees N/A N/A N/A
Appropriate Demeanor N/A N/A N/A
Timeliness of Rulings 79% 19% 2%
Handles Ongoing Workload 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. ‡

Attorney Retain Recommendation Bar ChartCourt Staff Retain Recommendation Bar ChartAppellate Judges Retain Recommendation Bar ChartTrial Court Retain Recommendation Percentage Bar Chart

‡ 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.