Eighteenth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Michael J. Watanabe
Retention Year: 1996
Recommendation: Retain
The Commission unanimously recommends that Judge Michael J. Watanabe BE RETAINED.
Judge Watanabe was appointed to the bench in 1987. In 1994 and 1995 he presided exclusively in domestic relations court, but this year splits time between criminal and juvenile court. In no category of attorney evaluations did Judge Watanabe receive less than strong approval, and his marks were particularly high in knowledge of the law, evidence, and procedure. Only in the area of fair sentencing were a substantial percentage of responses negative, but the number of respondents was small and the commission feels probably insignificant. The opinions of court personnel were universally favorable in almost all considered categories, and, as those of responding attorneys, praised Judge Watanabe’s work ethic and sense of fairness. The evaluations of litigants concerning Judge Watanabe were generally favorable.