Raymond Z. Ortiz
District Court Judge
1st Judicial District
Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe Counties
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Raymond Ortiz received generally positive ratings from attorneys, court staff and resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.). Specifically, attorneys rate Judge Ortiz positively for demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench, being attentive to proceedings, maintaining proper control over the proceedings, and being able to decisively rule on procedural and substantive matters. The court staff rate Judge Ortiz positively for behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts. The resource staff rate him positively for being courteous to all participants who come before him. However, some attorneys and resource staff feel that Judge Ortiz is not always prompt in scheduling hearings and trials, and that he does not always rule on motions or cases in a timely manner. In addition, some court staff feel that he does not always respect all court employees regardless of their position. Judge Ortiz is aware of these perceptions and has implemented procedures to improve his performance in these areas.
Experience & Education: Judge Ortiz was appointed as a district court judge in 2005 and was elected in 2006. Prior to his appointment, he was in private practice for 20 years. He is the Chief Judge for the First Judicial District Court and has held that position since December 2012. Judge Ortiz has a history of being active in many civil and professional organizations. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and law degree from the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall) in 1980.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=284, 51% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 82% | 9% | 9% |
| Fair and Impartial | 72% | 13% | 15% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 72% | 17% | 11% |
| Communication is Clear | 75% | 16% | 9% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 84% | 8% | 8% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 90% | 7% | 3% |
| Court Staff (n=54, 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 | 50% | 25% | 25% |
| Jurors (n=35, 53% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 97% | 0% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 97% | 3% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 96% | 1% | 3% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 97% | 0% | 3% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 62% | 13% | 25% |
| Communication is Clear | 67% | 17% | 17% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 75% | 25% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 64% | 27% | 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.