Judicial poll results released

Judges are often the ones handing sentences and presiding over court hearings, but when they’re up for retention, they’re the ones being judged.

All of Sweetwater County’s district and circuit court judges were supported for retention in the poll, one district court judge was reviewed below the poll’s average in a number of areas.

According to the 2014 Judicial Poll Results compiled by the Wyoming Bar Association, District Court Judge Nena James has the lowest retention rating amongst attorneys in Wyoming’s district courts.

Results compiled by the poll show 58.8 percent of responses would favor James’ retention to her post while 41.2 percent would oppose her retention. The state average for judges favored for retention is 86.2 percent. A total of 85 attorneys answered the question regarding James’ retention.

In areas revolving around knowledge of the law, open-mindedness and impartiality in judicial matters and industriousness and promptness in performing judicial duties, she was scored lower than the average scores for other district court judges in the state.

For knowledge of the law, James was ranked at 3.16 on a five-point scale, with the average being 4.07. In open-mindedness, she was scored 2.97 on the five-point scale, with the average being 4.00. With industriousness and promptness, she scored 2.92, with the average being 4.07.

James has served since 2001

The poll is compiled by the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center for the bar association each election year and allows active attorneys to evaluate judges. Only attorneys that have appeared in front of a judge in the last two years can complete an evaluation on them.

“The poll is (not) a competition between judges, as different attorneys are evaluating each judge. The poll is to assist a judge in identifying areas of opportunity for improvement,” a press release from the bar association states.

Voters can decide if they want to retain a judge during general elections. According to information form the Wyoming Bar Association, the state’s five supreme court justices stand for retention every eight years, while district court judges appear on the ballot every six years and circuit court judges are voted on every four years. If a judge is not retained, the state’s judicial nominating commission would then advertise for applicants to fill the vacancy.

The commission then screens applicants and recommends three potential candidates to the governor, who makes his selection from those three. According to the Wyoming Bar Association, both attorneys and non-attorneys serve on the nominating committee.

Both district court judges in Sweetwater County face retention this election cycle. Judge Richard Lavery also received a retention evaluation, with 93.1 percent of those responding in favor of his retention, with 6.9 percent opposing it. According to the poll, 87 attorneys responded to the question of favoring or opposing Lavery’s retention. Lavery also scored higher than the recorded average in the other areas covered in the poll. Lavery has served since 2012.

The county’s circuit court judges also received high support for retention, with 70 percent favoring Judge John Prokos’ retention and 77.8 percent favoring Judge Craig Jones’ retention. For Prokos, 30 attorneys responded in the question while 27 responded for Jones’ retention.

Prokos and Jones both started serving as circuit court judges last year.