Kevin L. Fitzwater
Metropolitan Court Judge
Bernalillo County
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Kevin Fitzwater received quite positive scores from all of the groups surveyed. Among lawyers, he was rated highly for treating self-represented parties fairly, being punctual in commencing proceedings, being attentive to the proceedings, and for maintaining proper control over the proceedings. The court staff gave Judge Fitzwater high ratings in all areas and the resource staff (e.g., law enforcement officers) rated him quite positively on all attributes.
Experience & Education: Judge Fitzwater has recently moved from a criminal to a civil docket and has served in Metropolitan Court since 1997. He received his law degree from the University of New Mexico in 1992. He also holds an MBA from the National University in San Diego, California. He had prior experience in military justice, worked as a deputy district attorney in the 2nd Judicial District, and is a retired Colonel in the US Marine Corps Reserves.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=50, 39% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 84% | 9% | 7% |
| Fair and Impartial | 78% | 12% | 10% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 76% | 13% | 11% |
| Communication is Clear | 76% | 15% | 10% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 84% | 9% | 7% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 93% | 5% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=72, 34% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 3% | 1% |
| Communication is Clear | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Respects Court Employees | 93% | 7% | 0% |
| Jurors (n=36, 29% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 98% | 2% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 92% | 6% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 91% | 8% | 1% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 92% | 7% | 1% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 90% | 8% | 1% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 94% | 5% | 2% |
| 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.