M. Monica Zamora
Court of Appeals Judge
Statewide
Year: 2016
Evaluation: Judge Monica Zamora received positive ratings. For example, attorneys rated Judge Zamora positively for displaying fairness and impartiality towards each side of the case and for conducting herself in a manner free from impropriety. She also received positive ratings from attorneys, district judges, and her fellow appellate court judges for writing opinions that are appropriate in tone and substance and for demonstrating an appropriate demeanor during proceedings. Judge Zamora scored highly among court staff, staff attorneys and law clerks in all categories.
Experience & Education: Judge Zamora graduated from Fort Lewis College in 1982 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She earned her Juris Doctorate in 1987 from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Judge Zamora practiced civil litigation for approximately eighteen years. In 2005, Judge Zamora was sworn in as a district judge in Bernalillo County and was assigned to the children’s court division. She served in that position until her election to the Court of Appeals in 2012. Judge Zamora is a past recipient of the Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women and the Center for Legal Education’s Summit Award for Ethics and Professionalism Credit.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=47, 23% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 85% | 5% | 10% |
| Fair and Impartial | 78% | 12% | 10% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 69% | 18% | 12% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 85% | 6% | 9% |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 79% | 12% | 9% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=48, 52% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 88% | 13% | 0% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appellate Judges (n=13, 100% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 96% | 3% | 1% |
| Respects Court Employees | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| District Judges (n=60, 64% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 89% | 9% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 79% | 17% | 4% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 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.