Jerry H. Ritter, Jr.
District Court Judge
12th Judicial District
Lincoln and Otero Counties
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Ritter received very positive ratings from both attorneys and non-attorneys. Attorneys rated him very highly for displaying familiarity with cases through prior preparation, for the quality of his oral and written decisions, and for his knowledge of the law. In addition, the court staff rated him quite positively for behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts and for respecting all court employees regardless of position. The resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) rated Judge Ritter very highly on all attributes.
Experience & Education: Judge Ritter was appointed District Judge in 1997. Prior to that appointment, he worked in private practice and as an assistant district attorney. He presides over a diversified docket and hears both civil and criminal cases. Judge Ritter is the Chair of the Judiciary's Budget Committee. He received his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University and his law degree from the University of New Mexico in 1987.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=62, 53% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 88% | 7% | 5% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 90% | 8% | 2% |
| Communication is Clear | 97% | 3% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 86% | 10% | 4% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 97% | 2% | 2% |
| Court Staff (n=20, 63% 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 | 82% | 6% | 12% |
| Jurors (n=37, 33% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 97% | 0% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Fair and Impartial | 95% | 5% | 0% |
| Communication is Clear | 95% | 5% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 95% | 3% | 3% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| 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.