Cindy M. Mercer
District Court Judge
13th Judicial District
Cibola, Sandoval, and Valencia Counties
Year: 2024
Evaluation: Judge Cindy Mercer’s overall survey results were positive. Judge Mercer was rated highly by attorneys for conducting herself in a manner free from impropriety or the appearance of impropriety, being courteous to all participants, demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench, conducting herself in a manner free from arrogance, being punctual in commencing proceedings, being attentive to the proceedings, maintaining proper control over the proceedings, and being able to decisively rule on procedural and substantive matters. In addition, court staff and jurors rated her highly on all attributes. Resource staff (e.g., law enforcement officers, CASA volunteers, CYFD, interpreters, etc.) rated Judge Mercer positively for behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts, being attentive to the proceedings, and maintaining proper control over the proceedings.
Experience & Education: Judge Cindy Mercer was elected to the District Court bench in November 2014. Prior to taking the bench, she worked as an attorney in the areas of criminal defense, domestic relations, neglect and abuse, and wills and probate. Judge Mercer received her undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University in 1991 and her law degree from the University of Nebraska in 1997.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=66, 30% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 94% | 3% | 3% |
| Fair and Impartial | 92% | 3% | 5% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 87% | 8% | 5% |
| Communication is Clear | 93% | 4% | 3% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 94% | 3% | 3% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 95% | 2% | 3% |
| Court Staff (n=25) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | 92% | 0% | 8% |
| Jurors (n=12, 43% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Communication is Clear | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Resource Staff (n=10) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 90% | 0% | 10% |
| Fair and Impartial | 65% | 25% | 10% |
| Communication is Clear | 78% | 11% | 11% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 90% | 0% | 10% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 90% | 10% | 0% |
*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. Some of the percentages that are reported in the above categories are an average of more than one question that appeared on the survey.