Magistrates rated ‘acceptable’ to ‘good’

The CNMI Bar Association yesterday released the results of its evaluation of the magistrates who are seeking retention in the Nov. 5, 2005 polls, generally rating them between acceptable to good.

Superior Court Associate Judge David Wiseman got the highest average score of 3.89; Supreme Court Associate Justice Alexandro Castro followed with an average of 3.70; and Chief Justice Miguel Demapan, 3.06.

The highest possible score is 5—or excellent—which means that the magistrate consistently exceeds minimum standards of performance, while the lowest score of 1—unacceptable—means that the magistrate seldom meets minimum standards of performance.

Under the Bar’s scale, a score of 2 means “deficient” when the magistrate does not always meet minimum standards of performance; 3 means “acceptable” when the magistrate meets minimum standards; while 4 means “good,” when the magistrate often exceeds those standards.
Bar Association president Edward Manibusan disclosed that there were a total of 24 evaluations that became the basis for each magistrates average score in each aspect or quality that the group thinks is essential to being a magistrate.

The Bar considered 12 categories: experience; integrity professional competence; judicial temperament; service to the law and contribution to the effective administration of justice; preparation; attentiveness; control over judicial proceedings; judicial management skills; courtesy to litigants, counsel and court personnel; public disciplinary sanctions; and quality of judicial opinions.

The Bar released the average score of the magistrates for each of those categories. It did not release the magistrates’ average score for all those categories, but a computation of those average scores would reveal their scores ranging from 3.06 to 3.89.

Wiseman obtained the highest average score of 4.17 for experience; Castro, 4.05; and Demapan, 3.42. For integrity, the evaluations gave Wiseman an average score of 3.63; Castro, 3.70; and Demapan, 2.46.

Regarding the magistrates’ professional competence, the Bar gave Wiseman a score of 3.79; Castro, 3.39; and Demapan, 3.39. For quality of judicial opinions, the Bar gave Wiseman a score of 3.71; Castro, 3.50; and Demapan, 2.50.

On the magistrates’ service to the law and contribution to the effective administration of justice, the Bar gave Wiseman a score of 3.95; Castro, 3.65; and Demapan, 3.00.