William E. Parnall
District Court Judge
2nd Judicial District
Bernalillo County
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Parnall received generally positive scores from court staff and resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.), and somewhat mixed ratings from attorneys. For example, attorneys rated Judge Parnall positively for demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench, conducting himself in a manner free from arrogance, and for ensuring his personal staff is professional, productive, and knowledgeable. However, attorneys gave him somewhat lower scores when it comes to exercising sound legal reasoning and his knowledge regarding substantive law and the rules of procedure and evidence. His scores among court staff and resource staff were positive. Although this evaluation indicated some weaknesses, the judge expressed a commitment to improving his judicial performance.
Experience & Education: Judge Parnall was appointed to the District Court in 2007, and he won election to that office the following year. He worked in the city defender's office, state public defender's office and private practice. Judge Parnall received his undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico, and his law degree from University of New Mexico School of Law in 1976.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=58, 32% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 77% | 16% | 7% |
| Fair and Impartial | 77% | 11% | 12% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 58% | 22% | 20% |
| Communication is Clear | 66% | 23% | 11% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 86% | 10% | 4% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 84% | 14% | 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 | 88% | 13% | 0% |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 76% | 17% | 7% |
| Communication is Clear | 70% | 24% | 6% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 91% | 7% | 2% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 79% | 16% | 5% |
| 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.