James Waylon Counts
District Court Judge
12th Judicial District --
Lincoln and Otero Counties
Year: 9999
Evaluation: Judge James Counts' overall survey results were positive. Attorneys rated him quite positively in the areas of maintaining proper control over the proceedings, being able to decisively rule on procedural and substantive matters, and being knowledgeable regarding substantive law and the rules of procedure and evidence. While still generally positive, attorneys rated Judge Counts slightly lower in being courteous to all participants and conducting himself in a manner free from arrogance. The court staff rated him highly for behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts and positively in all other areas. The resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) rated Judge Counts positively on all attributes.
Experience & Education: Judge James Counts was appointed to the District Court in 1999 and was elected to that judicial position the following year. He serves as the Water Judge for the District. Prior to becoming a judge, he served as an Assistant District Attorney and worked in private practice. He received the New Mexico Bar Association's Outstanding Judicial Service Award in 2006. He received both his undergraduate and law degrees from UNM.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=75, 40% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 82% | 9% | 8% |
| Fair and Impartial | 75% | 11% | 14% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 81% | 13% | 6% |
| Communication is Clear | 76% | 19% | 5% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 63% | 18% | 19% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 89% | 4% | 7% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=19, 70% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 94% | 6% | 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 | 82% | 6% | 12% |
| Jurors (n=57, 25% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 97% | 2% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 97% | 3% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 95% | 4% | 1% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Resource Staff (n=30) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 79% | 17% | 4% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 79% | 13% | 8% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 75% | 25% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 96% | 4% | 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.