Judges receive high marks

LINCOLN, Neb. — Most judges, including those serving the 11th judicial district in McCook, were given high marks by attorneys taking part in the 2024 Judicial Performance Evaluation, according to the Nebraska state Bar Association.

Nearly 92% of attorneys responding said District 11 County Judge Anne Paine should be retained in office, with 8% saying she should not. Her ratings on a 5-point scale, with 5 being excellent and 1 being very poor, were 4.2 for legal analysis, 4.3 for impartiality, 4.6 attentiveness, 4.4 for opinions, 4.5 for judicial temperament, 4.5 appropriate communication, 4.5 in prompt and timely decisions, 4.4 for fairness, 4.5 for efficiency, 4.6 for punctuality and 4.4 for trial management.

More than 96% of respondents said District 11 District Judge Patrick Heng should be retained, with more 3.7% saying he should not. Ratings included 4.0 legal analysis, 4.1 for impartiality, 4.3 attentiveness, 4.1 opinions, 4.5 judicial temperament, 4.3 appropriate communication, 4.3 for timeliness, 4.4 for fairness, 4.2 for efficiency, 4.5 for punctuality and 4.2 for trial management.

Lawyers responding to the poll recommend that 99% of the 142 judges evaluated be retained on the bench. Fifty-four percent of the judges evaluated were given a 90% or higher retention approval. Thirty-two percent of the judges received an 80-89% retention approval, and eight percent of the judges received an 70-79% retention approval.