The current system for evaluating judges is wanting. It is done by the judicial branch itself which sends out a survey after a trial or hearing lasting a certain length to the lawyers involved in these trials or hearings.
The problem is there are few trials or lengthy hearings these days. That makes the use of those surveys problematic because, although the surveys are submitted anonymously, judges can figure out who the attorneys are who are evaluating them. We commend the committee that designed the current survey, which is well thought out and comprehensive. The problem is the results are kept secret. Few seasoned litigators know how to access the evaluations or the summary of such evaluations or whether such information is in fact accessible at all. If you go to the Connecticut Judicial Website, this information is nowhere to be found.
