James M. Hudson
District Court Judge
5th Judicial District --
Chaves, Eddy, and Lea Counties
Year: 2020
Evaluation: Judge James Hudson's overall survey results were positive. Attorneys rated him highly in the areas of conducting himself in a manner free from impropriety, being knowledgeable about substantive law and rules of procedure and evidence, being attentive to the proceedings, maintaining proper control over the proceedings, being prompt in scheduling hearings and trials, and for displaying familiarity with court cases through prior preparation. The court staff rated Judge Hudson quite positively in the areas of behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts and respecting court employees regardless of position. The court staff rated Judge Hudson slightly lower on ensuring his personal staff is professional, productive and knowledgeable of court policies and procedures. The resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) rated Judge Hudson highly on all attributes.
Experience & Education: Judge James Hudson was appointed as a District Judge in March 2013 and was elected in November 2014. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the UNM School of Law. Judge Hudson is Chief Judge of the 5th Judicial District. Currently, he chairs the Chaves County Behavioral Health Leadership Council and serves on the Supreme Court Mental Health Team.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=56, 33% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 93% | 5% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | 77% | 20% | 4% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 84% | 12% | 4% |
| Communication is Clear | 94% | 3% | 4% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 70% | 14% | 17% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=51, 74% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 91% | 9% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Respects Court Employees | 74% | 17% | 9% |
| Resource Staff (n=49) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 88% | 12% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 89% | 11% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 88% | 12% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 89% | 11% | 0% |
| 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.