Do you think that the public’s esteem for judges has risen, declined or stayed the same over the last 10 years?

Declined – 63.4%
Risen – 7.6%
Stayed the same – 29%

Do you like wearing a judicial robe (if you wear one in your court/hearing room)?

Yes – 83%
No – 17%

In terms of your professional life, do you fear for your safety more so than in the past?

Yes – 58.19%
No – 41.81%

Do you consider yourself adequately prepared to handle issues related to the opioid crisis in your courtroom?

Yes – 40.83%
No – 59.17%

Should judges be elected or appointed?

Elected – 37.37
Appointed – 62.63

Are you opposed to legalizing recreational use of marijuana?

Yes – 38.21
No – 61.79

Who is your favorite Supreme Court Justice?

Samuel Alito – 4.41%
Stephen Breyer – 3.68%
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – 34.93%
Neil Gorsuch – 11.4%
Elena Kagan – 1.65%
Anthony Kennedy – 8.09%
John Roberts – 9.56%
Sonia Sotomayor – 14.52%
Clarence Thomas – 11.76%

Do you carry a gun?

Yes – 26.39%
No – 73.61%

Have you suffered secondary traumatic stress from being a judge?

Yes – 44.96%
No – 55.04%

Should the money-based bail system be abolished?

Yes – 30.60%
No – 69.40%

How would you have ruled if you presided over the case in the movie Miracle on 34th Street?

Committed – 18%
Not Committed – 82%

In the case, the judge must decide if the defendant, Kris Kringle, should be committed to a mental institution because he claims to be Santa Claus. That was a real-life decision faced by one of the NJC’s alumni. Read his story and other tales of judging during the holidays. 

Did you receive formal judicial education before you heard your first case?

Yes – 32.12%
No – 67.88%

Do you believe that, in practice, the judiciary is a “coequal” branch of the government, as the Constitution envisions?

Yes – 23.26%
No – 76.74%

If you could change one thing about being a judge, what would it be?

• Shorter hours. “The role of the judge is extraordinary, yet most models treat it the same as other professions. We are faced with trauma each day and are tasked with making decisions that affect others’ lives, yet we are not provided any respite for it.”
• Ability to shed one’s judicial identity away in social situations. “[There’s a perception that] we are not entitled to a normal personal life.”
• Get rid of elections and the need for fundraising. “Judging should be about the fair and timely adjudication of cases instead of fundraising from the attorneys who appear before us.”

Do you think civility has improved, declined or stayed the same in your courtroom in the past five years?

Improved – 9.78%
Declined – 44.57%
Stayed the same – 45.65%

Do you believe the Supreme Court should allow its oral arguments, but not deliberations, to be broadcast live?

Yes – 69.22%
No – 30.78%

Do you do anything to alert jurors to unconscious or implicit bias before rendering a verdict?

Yes – 28.45%
No – 71.55%

Should jurors be allowed to question witnesses?

Yes – 47.51%
No – 52.49%

Do you think civil jury trials are headed for extinction?

Yes – 28.45%
No – 71.55%

How many years of trial experience should an attorney be required to have before taking the bench?

0-2 years – 6.99%
3-5 years – 13.55%
6-9 years – 30.47%
10 or more years – 48.99%

Do you feel that judicial independence is being threatened?

Yes – 90.38%
No – 9.62%

Have you ever regretted one of your rulings?

Yes – 79.35%
No – 20.65%

What do judges want to ask Nina Totenberg?

Would you recommend judging as a profession today?

Yes – 89.06%
No – 10.94%

What is your No. 1 suggestion for getting more judges to attend our courses?

Lower the cost/increase scholarships – 58.6%
Offer different/additional courses – 3.72%
Improve courses/instructors – .93%
Offer courses closer to me – 16.05%
Other (please specify) – 20.7%

Does religion ever come up in your courtroom?

Yes – 54.18%
No – 45.82%

Do you use summary jury trials?

Yes – 13.28%
No – 86.72%

Should judges speak out against attacks on judicial independence?

Yes – 85.88%
No – 14.12%

About how often do you disagree with the jury’s verdict?

Less than 25 percent of the time – 81.74%
26 to 50 percent of the time – 13.7%
51 to 75 percent of the time – 2.39%
More than 75 percent of the time – 2.17%

Who do you consider to be the most consequential chief justice of the United States? You may vote for up to three.

Earl Warren – 71.74%
John Marshall – 69.84%
Warren Burger – 22.01%
William Rehnquist – 20.11%
John Jay – 13.04%
John Roberts – 6.52%
Roger Taney – 5.71%
William H. Taft – 5.16%
Charles E. Hughes – 3.8%
Harlan F. Stone – 2.17%
Salmon P. Chase – 1.63%
Frederick M. Vinson – .54%
John Rutledge – .54%
Oliver Ellsworth – .27%
Morrison R. Waite – .27%
Edward D. White – .54%
Melville Fuller – 0%

Which of these 13 potential new courses would you most want to be offered at the NJC?
Vote for as many as you’d like.

When Mental Health is an Issue in a Case – 61.54%
Judicial Discipline: How a Lapse in Judgement Could Cost You – 52.16%
Effective Sentencing: The Latest Research – 50.84%
Is There a Role for Compassion in Judging? – 45.4%
Modern Approaches to Presiding over Civil Matters – 43.15%
Judging Plea Bargains – 41.65%
Retirement for Judges – 36.02%
Peacemaking, Family Mediation and Other Alternatives for Resolving Disputes – 27.95%
Know Your Power: State Constitution Interpretation  – 27.02%
Record-Sealing Decisions and Considering the Public Interest- 26.83%
Other – 9.19%
Land Issues and the Dormant Commerce Clause – 6.19%
Oil and Gas Law: An Introduction – 4.69%

Do you think it’s right for a journalist to point out which president or governor appointed a judge?

Yes – 79.91%
No – 19.63%

Should there be a maximum age for judges, even those with lifetime appointments?

Yes – 51.90%
No – 48.10%

Do you order perpetrators to pay restitution in every case where the law allows it?

Yes – 73.52%
No – 26.48%

How many laws, ordinances, regulations, etc. does the Grinch (or do the Whos) violate in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

The totals ranged from 25 to, in the solemn jurisprudence of one anonymous judge, “None. We are only bound by the law and we have no idea what conduct Whoville statutes, if any, proscribe or require.”

Do you think using artificial intelligence in court – having computers and algorithms offer advice in bail and sentencing decisions, for instance – holds promise for eliminating bias from those decisions?

Yes – 35.56%
No – 64.44%

Do you know what the common plea-bargain practice known as “masking” is?

Yes – 43.94%
No – 56.28%

Do you feel adequately prepared to make judicial decisions involving the coronavirus or a similar public health emergency?

Yes – 41.32%
No – 58.68%

About what percentage of your normal court operations are continuing during the coronavirus crisis?

Less than 25 percent – 57.53%
26 to 50 percent – 20.64%
51 to 75 percen – 9.85%
More than 75 percent – 12.10%

Which online platform have you been using most often to conduct court operations remotely during the coronavirus crisis?

Zoom – 48.43%
WebEx – 25.21%
Other – 10.54%
Skype – 9.69%
Microsoft Teams – 9.12%
GoToMeeting – 6.13%
Google Hangouts – 3.85%
BlueJeans – 3.56%
CourtCall – 3.13%
None – 1.71%
Adobe Connect – .14%

Are you seeing fewer no-shows in virtual hearings compared with conventional in-person hearings?

Improvement – 46.99%
Stayed the same/gotten worse – 53.01%

Do you believe that systemic racism exists in the criminal justice system?

Yes – 65.24%
No – 34.76%

Do you feel your court sufficiently addresses the security needs of you and your family?

Your Security
Yes – 26.54%
No – 73.46%

Your Family’s Security
Yes – 16.31%
No – 83.69%

Would you allow a professionally trained facility dog in the courtroom during a trial to assist a victim or vulnerable witness while giving testimony?

Yes – 89.21%
No – 10.79%

What percentage of voters know enough about candidates for judicial office to make an informed decision?

Less than 10 percent – 55.51%
11 to 30 percent – 29.4%
31 to 50 percent – 10.25%
More than 50 percent – 4.84%

Do you believe in publishing judicial performance reviews to help voters make more informed choices?

Yes – 57.76%
No – 42.24%

Do you think any judges should be appointed for life?

Yes – 39.66%
No – 60.34%

What book would you recommend as a gift to a judge?

Most frequently recommended books:

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Bible

Have you ever felt political pressure in connection with one of your decisions?

Yes – 54.04%
No – 45.96%

As of today, and knowing what you do about the predicted state of the pandemic the rest of the year, how likely are you to register to attend an in-person judicial education course or conference in 2021?

Very Unlikely – 33.76%
Not likely – 23.64%
Unsure – 12.35%
Likely – 14.16%
Very Likely – 16.08%

Which tactics do you think would be most effective for clearing the case backlog caused by the pandemic?

Relaunch jury trials with COVID-19 safeguards – 24.05%
Continue/increase virtual hearings – 23%
Increase # of judges – 22.78%
Offer hearings at non-traditional times – 8.44%
Our court has not experienced a backlog – 8.23%
Encourage more parties in civil cases to agree to arbitration or mediation – 6.96%
Adopt new or evolving technology – 6.54%

What signs, quotes, totems, lucky charms, etc., do you keep on your bench for inspiration or as a reminder?

One judge told of keeping a sticky note from her daughter wishing her good luck in her new role as a judge. “It reminds me to stay true to why I do this work and to always act in a manner that will make my girls proud of me.”

Has your thinking about the ‘reasonable person’ standard changed as you’ve learned more about disparities in society?

Yes – 36.39%
No – 63.61%

Do you think plea bargains advance justice?

Yes – 89.67%
No – 10.33%

Do you think judicial education can help rid courts of implicit bias?

Yes – 68.30%
No – 31.70%

Do you plan on leaving the bench within the next year as a result of changed thinking or anything else related to the pandemic?

Yes – 19.67%
No – 80.33%

How often have you had to make a ruling in line with a law you personally disagreed with?

A few times – 54.93%
More than a few times – 27.32%
Often – 12.39%
Never – 5.35%

Should there be term limits for Supreme Court justices, and if so, for how long?

10 years or less – 10.28%
11-19 years – 33.39%
20 years or longer – 17.72%
No term limits – 38.61%

Are you seeing an increase in verbal attacks, insulting remarks or hate speech made toward you in the courtroom?

Yes – 35.20%
No – 64.80%

What is your typical response?

Hold in contempt – 2.81%
Warn the person they’re risking being held in contempt – 36.5%
Ignore it – 11.23%
Other – 49.46%

Which of these would you most enjoy receiving this holiday season?

New gavel – 4.61%
New robe – 22.15%
New chair – 23.68%
New attorneys – 13.38%
New something else – 36.18%

Do you agree with Chief Justice Roberts’ recent statement that the judiciary can police itself and the other branches should not get involved?

Yes – 21.23%
No – 78.77%