MONROE - A statewide survey of trial attorneys rated one Green County Circuit Judge one of the best in the state - and another judge one of the worst.
A recent survey by the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team asked more than 2,000 trial attorneys to rate every judge in the state regarding impartiality, communication skills and legal ability between August and September. The accompanying story by the team points out that Wisconsin, unlike most other states, does not have a formal evaluation system or attorney survey of judges to provide information to voters.
According to the survey results, Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale was rated a 4.5 out of 5 by the nine attorneys who rated him. This score places Vale within the 30 highest-rated judges of the state's 249 circuit court judges. The survey included 205 of those judges.
Conversely, Circuit Judge James Beer was rated a 2.6 out of 5, 1.2 points less than the statewide average rating. Beer is rated the fifth-worst judge in the state.
Vale said he was flattered by the results, but recommended that the results be taken with a grain of salt due to the limited sample size.
"I think one of the biggest issues is treating the litigants and attorneys with respect," Vale said. "We should expect judges to be respectful, too."
The survey asked attorneys 15 questions about judges' efficacy such as: "Does the judge issue rulings supported by established law?" or "Is the judge willing to make difficult or unpopular decisions?"
Beer's highest-rated attribute was the clarity of his communication skills, rated a 3 out of 5. On the other hand, he received a score of 1.9 for the question "does the judge avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety?"
Vale received a score of 4.9 out of 5 for the same question. None of Vale's attributes received a score lower than four points.
Attorneys were also asked to recommend whether a judge should be retained. All nine attorneys who rated Vale agreed he should be retained, while only one of the eight who rated Beer said he should be.
Beer's approval rating, 13 percent, is the third-lowest in the state. The two judges who rated lower (James L. Carlson of Walworth County and John Siefert of Milwaukee County) hold approval ratings of 0 percent.
Beer said the survey could not be considered scientifically valid.
"That survey was answered by eight people," Beer said. "So I think that's not scientific. It's not credible."
Beer added that he had already passed the "ultimate test" of an elected official's competence: election.
"I just finished an election last year and I received 60 percent of the vote," Beer said. "And I would consider that an overwhelming success."
Beer was appointed to his present position by Gov. Tommy Thompson in 1996 before being elected in 1997 and re-elected in subsequent terms.
From 2010 to 2014, the survey noted, more than 40 percent of Beer's verdicts were reversed on appeal. The statewide average reversal rate is approximately 16 percent.
Vale said the survey results could provide insight for improving the state's judicial system.
"Judges should be held accountable," Vale said.
Information for Lafayette County was not available.
The survey can be found online at postcrescent.com by searching for Wisconsin judges.
A recent survey by the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team asked more than 2,000 trial attorneys to rate every judge in the state regarding impartiality, communication skills and legal ability between August and September. The accompanying story by the team points out that Wisconsin, unlike most other states, does not have a formal evaluation system or attorney survey of judges to provide information to voters.
According to the survey results, Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale was rated a 4.5 out of 5 by the nine attorneys who rated him. This score places Vale within the 30 highest-rated judges of the state's 249 circuit court judges. The survey included 205 of those judges.
Conversely, Circuit Judge James Beer was rated a 2.6 out of 5, 1.2 points less than the statewide average rating. Beer is rated the fifth-worst judge in the state.
Vale said he was flattered by the results, but recommended that the results be taken with a grain of salt due to the limited sample size.
"I think one of the biggest issues is treating the litigants and attorneys with respect," Vale said. "We should expect judges to be respectful, too."
The survey asked attorneys 15 questions about judges' efficacy such as: "Does the judge issue rulings supported by established law?" or "Is the judge willing to make difficult or unpopular decisions?"
Beer's highest-rated attribute was the clarity of his communication skills, rated a 3 out of 5. On the other hand, he received a score of 1.9 for the question "does the judge avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety?"
Vale received a score of 4.9 out of 5 for the same question. None of Vale's attributes received a score lower than four points.
Attorneys were also asked to recommend whether a judge should be retained. All nine attorneys who rated Vale agreed he should be retained, while only one of the eight who rated Beer said he should be.
Beer's approval rating, 13 percent, is the third-lowest in the state. The two judges who rated lower (James L. Carlson of Walworth County and John Siefert of Milwaukee County) hold approval ratings of 0 percent.
Beer said the survey could not be considered scientifically valid.
"That survey was answered by eight people," Beer said. "So I think that's not scientific. It's not credible."
Beer added that he had already passed the "ultimate test" of an elected official's competence: election.
"I just finished an election last year and I received 60 percent of the vote," Beer said. "And I would consider that an overwhelming success."
Beer was appointed to his present position by Gov. Tommy Thompson in 1996 before being elected in 1997 and re-elected in subsequent terms.
From 2010 to 2014, the survey noted, more than 40 percent of Beer's verdicts were reversed on appeal. The statewide average reversal rate is approximately 16 percent.
Vale said the survey results could provide insight for improving the state's judicial system.
"Judges should be held accountable," Vale said.
Information for Lafayette County was not available.
The survey can be found online at postcrescent.com by searching for Wisconsin judges.