Edward L. Benavidez
Metropolitan Court Judge
Bernalillo County
Year: 2010
Evaluation: Overall, Judge Edward Benavidez received positive ratings from the various groups surveyed. For example, attorneys rated him well for his demeanor on the bench, courteousness to all participants, and fair treatment of self-represented litigants. The court staff and jurors gave him positive ratings on all attributes. Some attorneys rated him slightly lower for not always exercising sound legal reasoning and for not being thoroughly knowledgeable regarding substantive law and the rules of procedure and evidence. Based on the judge's interview, the Commission feels Judge Benavidez will strive to improve in these areas.
Experience & Education: Judge Edward Benavidez was elected to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in 2008. His prior work experience includes service as a criminal defense attorney and assistant district attorney. Judge Benavidez received his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University in 1985 and his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1990.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=183, 74.1% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 81% | 14% | 5% |
| Fair and Impartial | 83% | 6% | 11% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 59% | 19% | 22% |
| Communication is Clear | 70% | 13% | 18% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 93% | 5% | 1% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 84% | 13% | 4% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=65, 56.5% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 83% | 16% | 2% |
| 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 | 95% | 2% | 3% |
| Jurors (n=51, 41% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 98% | 0% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | 95% | 3% | 2% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | |||
| Communication is Clear | 91% | 5% | 3% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 96% | 2% | 2% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 96% | 2% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | |||
* 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.