Denise Barela-Shepherd
District Court Judge
2nd Judicial District
Bernalillo County
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Overall, Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd's scores are generally positive among the attorneys and resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.), but low among the court staff. Attorneys rated her positively for being courteous to all participants, demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench, and for ensuring her personal staff is professional, productive, and knowledgeable. In fact, her scores among attorneys improved on every attribute since her last evaluation in 2011. Resource staff scored her positively for being attentive to the proceedings, being courteous to all participants, behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts, and for promptly scheduling hearing and trials. However, Judge Barela-Shepherd’s court staff scores were low and declined on every attribute since her 2011 evaluation. The judge expressed a commitment to making improvements with regard to her interactions with the court staff.
Experience & Education: Judge Barela-Shepherd was appointed in 2003 and elected as a District Court Judge in 2004. She currently presides over both civil and criminal cases. Prior to being appointed, she served as a Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judge from 1997 to 2003. Judge Barela-Shepherd received her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and her law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1989.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=182, 31% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 84% | 11% | 5% |
| Fair and Impartial | 78% | 13% | 9% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 64% | 24% | 12% |
| Communication is Clear | 78% | 16% | 6% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 89% | 6% | 5% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 87% | 11% | 2% |
| Court Staff (n=140, 44% 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 | 27% | 21% | 52% |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 76% | 17% | 7% |
| Communication is Clear | 79% | 17% | 4% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 84% | 11% | 5% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 80% | 13% | 7% |
| 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.