Jonathan B. Sutin
Court of Appeals Judge
Statewide
Year: 2016
Evaluation: The results of Judge Jonathan Sutin’s evaluation were quite positive. His fellow appellate judges rated him positively on all attributes. Judge Sutin’s scores among attorneys were positive for demonstrating appropriate demeanor, rendering opinions without regard to possible public criticism, and for conducting himself in a manner free from impropriety. Among attorneys, Judge Sutin also received a positive score for writing opinions that demonstrate scholarly legal analysis. Court staff rated Judge Sutin highly for being a hard worker and for respecting court employees regardless of position. The Commission encourages Judge Sutin to continue his outstanding work on the Court of Appeals.
Experience & Education: Judge Sutin has served on the Court of Appeals since February 1999. Prior to his service as a judge, he worked with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and for 35 years in private practice as a trial and appellate lawyer. Judge Sutin serves as Chair of the Supreme Court’s Judicial Education Committee. He also teaches a class on Appellate Decision Making at the University of New Mexico School of Law. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
PERCENTAGE THAT AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE JUDGE EXHIBITS POSITIVE QUALITIES IN EACH CATEGORY *
| Attorneys (n=62, 30% Response Rate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 86% | 9% | 5% |
| Fair and Impartial | 76% | 12% | 12% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 72% | 16% | 12% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | 84% | 13% | 4% |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 70% | 20% | 10% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Court Staff (n=48, 52% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 95% | 2% | 2% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 89% | 9% | 2% |
| Respects Court Employees | 92% | 8% | 0% |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 94% | 6% | 0% |
| Handles Ongoing Workload | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Appellate Judges (n=13, 100% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 92% | 8% | 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=60, 64% Response Rate) | |||
| Category | Agree | Partly Agree/ Partly Disagree | Disagree |
| Exhibits Integrity | 96% | 4% | 0% |
| Fair and Impartial | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Knowledgeable of Law | 91% | 6% | 3% |
| Respects Court Employees | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Appropriate Demeanor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Timeliness of Rulings | 79% | 17% | 4% |
| 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.