Thirteenth Judicial District - Morgan County Court Judge
Honorable Michael J. Schingle
Retention Year: 2014
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
2014 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2013 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
2011 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The Thirteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge Michael J. Schingle BE RETAINED.
Judge Schingle earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of New Mexico in 1977 and a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Tennessee Law School in 1979. Before taking the bench, Judge Schingle was a private attorney in general practice with an emphasis in criminal litigation, and served as President of both the Morgan County local bar association and the Thirteenth Judicial District Bar Association. A former member of the Sunrise Optimist Club, Judge Schingle continues to volunteer in the club’s youth programs, including the annual Brain Bowl competition. He makes himself available for public speaking and has given programs to a number of civic groups.
Evaluation method used by the commission included reviews of current and interim 2013 judicial performance survey reports. Those reports contained summaries of responses to survey questions and comments from attorneys and non-attorneys who had been involved in proceedings in Judge Schingle’s courtroom. The non-attorneys surveyed included civil litigants, criminal defendants, jurors, witnesses, crime victims, court staff and interpreters, probation and law enforcement officers. The evaluation process also involved review of the Judge’s written self evaluation, review of a sample of the Judge’s written decisions, courtroom observations by some members of the commission and an interview with the Judge. Of all attorneys surveyed about retention, 97% recommended retaining Judge Schingle, 0% recommended not to retain, and 3% made no recommendation. Of non-attorneys surveyed, 87% recommended retaining Judge Schingle, 7% not to retain, and 6% made no recommendation. (These percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.)
Judge Schingle’s performance was rated above average by both attorneys and non-attorneys in the majority of performance criteria, including: demeanor, fairness, communications, diligence, and application of law. The only area in which he was significantly lower than average, but still within acceptable ratings, was promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. Judge Schingle is currently handling a case load of 110% to 120% of a full case load, which means that his docket is very difficult to manage. Judge Schingle is constantly seeking ways to make his court more efficient without cutting down on the attention he gives each case.