Eleventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable John Edward Anderson III
Retention Year: 1996
Recommendation: Retain
The Eleventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge John E. Anderson III BE RETAINED.
Judge Anderson was appointed to the District Court Bench in November, 1980. Judge Anderson currently hears criminal, domestic relations, civil and juvenile cases. He is also a water court judge.
Questionnaires for evaluation of Judge Anderson were sent to attorneys who have practiced in his court, court personnel and staff, litigants who have appeared in front of him, jurors who have served as jurors in his court, and law enforcement personnel who have appeared in his court. The responses to the questionnaire rated Judge Anderson highly overall. Those persons who responded to the questionnaires made the following recommendations concerning retention of Judge Anderson:
Attorneys (32 responses): Retain: 84.4% No Opinion: 6.3% Do Not Retain: 9.4%
Court Personnel (36 responses): Retain: 91.7% No Opinion: 8.3%
Litigants (7 responses): Retain: 85.7% Do Not Retain: 14.3%
Jurors (34 responses): Retain: 94.1% No Opinion: 2.9% Do Not Retain: 2.9%
Law Enforcement (27 responses): Retain: 100%
Based upon information supplied to the commission through he questionnaires, and personal interviews with Judge Anderson, the commission feels that Judge Anderson presides over a very heavy docket. Judge Anderson is conscientious, fair, knowledgeable in the law, and clear in his communication with persons appearing before him. Judge Anderson has demonstrated a high level of self-awareness about difficulties and challenges in his courtroom and seeks for realistic and creative means of dealing with situations before him.
Judge Anderson has good communication with the bar associations in the district. He maintains good contact with the community and tries to be responsive to the needs of the community, while maintaining a balance within the judicial system. He encourages school participation in the courtroom and maintains a philosophy that his role as a judge includes an obligation to educate and inform members of the public about the functioning of the judicial system.