Starting next March, the Judicial Branch will expand its current system of lawyers’ evaluation of judges, by introducing an online component.
As explained in the September 10, 2012 edition of the Connecticut Law Tribune, the current evaluation system involves paper questionnaires given to attorneys who (1) go to trial or (2) are involved in hearings lasting at least an hour. The new electronic questionnaires will supplement the current system. The online questionnaires will be given in certain high-volume courts (such as those handling arraignments), to attorneys who (1) handle at least three matters to disposition before the same judge during a six-month period or (2) make an appearance in a case with a judgment after trial.
The current questionnaires ask attorneys to rate judges on 13 criteria, such as their impartiality and knowledge of the substantive law. Two new questions are being added: one on the judge’s ability to settle before trial, and one on the judge’s fairness and equity to people based on their gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
According to the article, one of the goals of the expansion is to increase participation in the evaluation process; the paper evaluations’ response rate is 50% to 65%
The full article is available in the Legislative Library.
