Gary L. Clingman
District Court Judge
5th Judicial District --
Chaves, Eddy, and Lea Counties
Year: 2014
Evaluation: Judge Clingman received generally positive ratings from both attorneys and non-attorneys. Among attorneys, he was given favorable ratings for punctuality in commencing proceedings, maintaining proper control over the proceedings, attentiveness to the proceedings, and for his ability to decisively rule on procedural and substantive matters. However, attorneys rated him somewhat lower when it comes to treating all participants equally, being courteous to all participants, and conducting himself in a manner free from arrogance. The court staff and resource staff (e.g., law enforcement, probation and parole officers, interpreters, etc.) rated Judge Clingman positively in all areas. In his interview, Judge Clingman demonstrated a commitment to improving in his areas of weakness.
Experience & Education: Judge Clingman was appointed as a district judge in 1997. Prior to his appointment, he worked in private practice. He presides over a diversified docket and hears both civil and criminal cases. Judge Clingman served as the Chief Judge of the Fifth Judicial District from 2006 to 2013. Judge Clingman has also served as an instructor and facilitator at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and is pursuing his postgraduate degree in Judicial Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from Texas Tech Law School in 1984.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=52, 37% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 67% | 19% | 13% |
| Fair and Impartial | 50% | 27% | 23% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 74% | 18% | 8% |
| Communication is Clear | 72% | 22% | 6% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 52% | 22% | 26% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 90% | 8% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=52, 79% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 81% | 10% | 10% |
| 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 | 86% | 5% | 10% |
| Jurors (n=22, 23% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 94% | 4% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | 93% | 4% | 3% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Communication is Clear | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 94% | 4% | 2% |
| Properly Controls Proceedings | 94% | 6% | 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.