NCJ Number
67127
Date Published
1977
Length
111 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A SURVEY OF ALL STATE AND LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATIONS REGARDING THEIR CONDUCT OF JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLLS, FROM WHICH ARE DRAWN GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF SUCH POLLS.
Abstract
JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLLS PURPORT TO GIVEN AN INFORMED EVALUATION OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF JUDICIAL BEHAVIOR, SUCH THAT THEY RESEMBLE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH SURVEYS. THE NATURE OF SUCH POLLS BEING CONDUCTED BY STATE AND LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATIONS WAS DETERMINED THROUGH A 1975 SURVEY OF ALL BAR ASSOCIATIONS WITH 300 OR MORE MEMBERS. THROUGH A 71 PERCENT CANVASS RESPONSE AND ADDITIONAL INQUIRIES, 32 BAR ASSOCIATIONS WERE FOUND TO HAVE CONDUCTED AT LEAST 1 JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLL. THE FOLLOWING INTERRELATED ISSUES WERE EXPLORED IN THE SURVEY: WHO CONDUCTED THE JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLLS; WHY THE POLLS WERE CONDUCTED; WHO WAS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLLS; WHAT INFORMATION WAS SOUGHT AND IN WHAT FORM; HOW THE RESULTS WERE TABULATED AND ANALYZED; AND HOW, WHEN, AND TO WHOM THE POLL RESULTS WERE DISSEMINATED. THE EFFECTS OF THE JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLLS WERE ALSO EXAMINED. THE EVIDENCE IS CONTRADICTORY AND FRAGMENTARY REGARDING THE IMPACT OF JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLLS. HOWEVER, THEY ARE ONE WAY BAR ASSOCIATIONS CAN PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATE THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE QUALITY OF JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE POLLS DEVELOPED FROM THE SURVEY DEAL WITH ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSE RATES; DESIGN OF THE POLLING INSTRUMENT; TABULATION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS; AND HANDLING SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH SIZE. THE APPENDIX PROVIDES DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED POLLS CONDUCTED BY SOME OF THE BAR ASSOCIATIONS SURVEYED. FOOTNOTES AND SAMPLE FORMS ARE INCLUDED.