Jim Wechsler
Court of Appeals Judge
Statewide
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Jim Wechsler's scores are quite positive. Attorneys rated him quite positively for demonstrating appropriate demeanor, rendering opinions without regard to possible public criticism, and conducting himself in a manner free from impropriety. In addition, the court staff rated him very highly for behaving in a manner that encourages respect for the courts, being a hard worker, and for his knowledge of the law. The appellate judges and district judges rated Judge Wechsler highly in all areas.
Experience & Education: Judge Wechsler was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 1994 and elected in 1996. He currently serves as the Water Adjudication Judge. Judge Wechsler is a member of the First Judicial District Bar Association and the Oliver Seth Inn of Court. Before assuming the bench, he worked in private practice and as an assistant attorney general in the New Mexico Attorney General's Office. Judge Wechsler received his undergraduate degree in 1966 and his law degree in 1969 from New York University.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=106, 30% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 93% | 5% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | 87% | 11% | 2% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 81% | 14% | 5% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 99% | 1% | 0% |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 88% | 8% | 4% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=55, 59% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 95% | 5% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | 88% | 6% | 6% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 90% | 10% | 0% |
| Appellate Judges (n=14, 93% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| District Judges (n=50, 58% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 2% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 94% | 6% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 79% | 19% | 2% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 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.