NCJ Number
80782
Journal
Judicature Volume: 65 Issue: 6 Dated: (December/January 1982) Pages: 294-305
Date Published
1982
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Results from a survey of all 549 female State court judges present their characteristics and attitudes about judicial selection.
Abstract
A total of 368 usable returns were analyzed. The typical woman judge was 48 years-old and had become a judge at the age of 42. She was a white Democrat whose political ideology was moderate to liberal. She had attended a private law school and had been employed with a small firm prior to becoming a judge. She had been relatively uninvolved in politics and was likely to be currently serving on a limited jurisdiction court in a medium-sized city. A plurality of women judges obtained their first judicial positions by filling an unexpired term of another judge, and they were first appointed to the bench by a governor who had used a nominating commission. Their subsequent judicial terms were most likely obtained through popular election. With the exception of those selected by straight gubernatorial appointment, women judges tend to believe that their own initial method of selection produces the highest quality bench and results in placing the largest number of women in judicial positions. Overall, appointment by a governor who had used a nominating commission was regarded as the superior and preferred method of selection. Nearly one-half of all respondents believe that partisan elections produce the lowest quality bench. Tabular data are provided. (Author summary modified)