Pierce County Judges Reviewed

The Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association commissioned Prof. David C. Brody (WSU Criminal Justice Program) to evaluate the performance of the 22 superior court judges in the county. He based his study, which was released in April, on the http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifABA's Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance (2005). The full report (a 249-page PDF) is available here.

• Adam Lynn, WSU professor gathered information from attorneys and jurors, News Tribune, June 1, 2008.


• Adam Lynn, Jurors rate judges favorably on 14 criteria, News Tribune, June 1, 2008.


• Adam Lynn, Judging the judges: Bar Association survey rates Pierce County judiciary, News Tribune, June 1, 2008.

  None of the county's 22 judges achieved the ideal, and each judge drew at least one negative comment from the lawyers. Still, some get closer than others, the Bar Association's study revealed.
  
  The lawyers gave the highest ratings to the judges they think work the hardest across the spectrum of their jobs.
  
  Those who appear prepared, keep cases moving efficiently, stay abreast of changes in the law, make an effort to listen to both sides and maintain an even emotional keel got the best marks.
  
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  The judges who rated lowest in the four categories were criticized for being ignorant of the law, hotheaded, unprepared or inefficient.



• The judges released a statement in response to the study's release. They were sharply critical of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association's release of anonymous comments and note that Prof. Brody advised against it. The judges respond, News Tribune, June 1, 2008.