Commission recommends retaining all judges in district

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission recommends retaining all five judges in the Ninth Judicial District in the November general election, according to an election retention report it released Friday.

The NMJPEC is a non-partisan, volunteer commission that surveys groups that have contact with each judge. Analysis criteria includes personal interviews with judges, surveys of groups that have contact with the judges and other analysis of court statistics.

Judges are scored based on what percentages of attorneys, court staff and resource staff would recommend retention.

Scores for district judges, listed alphabetically, were as follows:

• Matthew Chandler: 84% of attorneys, 81% of court staff, 100% of resource staff.

• Donna Mowrer: 86% of attorneys, 88% of court staff, 100% of resource staff.

• David Reeb: 82% of attorneys, 95% of court staff, 93% of resource staff.

• Drew Tatum: 90% of attorneys, 96% of court staff, 93% of resource staff.

• Fred Van Soelen: 68% of attorneys, 96% of court staff, 57% of resource staff.

The commission recommended retention of Supreme Court Justice Judith Nakamura, who plans to retire but has not provided a specific date. Jacqueline Medina of the New Mexico Court of Appeals was given no evaluation, as the commission requires at least two years on the bench.

Of the 70 district judges in New Mexico, the commission recommended retaining 61 and not retaining three, with the other six serving insufficient time in office.