Lawyers in Idaho say Justice Roger Burdick is more qualified to keep his job on the Idaho Supreme Court than his election challenger, Judge John Bradbury, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Idaho State Bar (ISB).
The survey of 614 lawyers ranked Burdick as above average in all four areas measured, including integrity, understanding of the law, judicial temperament, and legal ability and experience. Bradbury scored close to average in all four areas. Bradbury scored well in the 2nd Judicial District, where he currently serves, but his ranking from lawyers was still below Burdick.
The ISB, a statewide self-governing state agency for lawyers, sent out more than 4,300 surveys to lawyers and received 14 percent of them back. That’s a better turnout than usual, according to Dan Black, the bar’s communications director.
Close to 250 of the survey respondents didn’t answer survey questions on Bradbury because they didn’t know him well enough. Burdick had slightly more than 100 non-respondents. Responses to the state bar survey also rated Bradbury below Justice Joel Horton during their 2008 race for an Idaho Supreme Court seat.
The survey isn’t meant to be an endorsement for Burdick or against Bradbury, according to Black. “There are no favorites on our part,” he said. “It’s definitely not an endorsement or any attempt to have one candidate look good.” Black said the survey is intended to be another source of information for Idaho voters, who will decide between Bradbury and Burdick on the May 25 primary election ballot. “The survey results are just one more bit of information that they wouldn’t have otherwise,” Black said. “I expect voters will consider a variety of sources of information to make their decision.”
Burdick and Bradbury will participate in a televised debate on Tuesday in Boise.
The ISB also released surveys for two contested district judge elections. In a race to fill Bradbury’s seat in north central Idaho, both Michael Griffin of Grangeville and Edwin Litteneker of Lewiston scored above average. In a fifth district race, in an area serving the Magic Valley and Wood River Valley, incumbent Roger Elgee of Hailey scored slightly higher than Douglas Werth of Hailey in all four categories. Both district judge races received fewer survey responses than the Supreme Court race. See the full survey results at the ISB website.
The bar poll is not surprising. But before credibility should be given to it a few things should be understood. Lawyers are very hidebound. They do not like to step out and speak their minds. They love the status quo.
Another point, these polls are only important if they are responded to by people who have actual experience with the particular person and if they themselves are competent. Any one should question how many of the poll responders have any real knowledge of the judges in question.
Lawyers like to express warm feelings for those who have power over them. It is a sort of hero worship, or worse, a desire to identify with the agressor. Recall the Stockholm Syndrome. One can imagine the warm feelings a lawyer had when he or she checked the box for a person tried and true as opposed to the box of a person from where was it Grangeville, Lewiston, someplace in the hustings.
The bottom line is this: The Bar knows you will go with the poll. The Bar loves its own. The Bar does not like people who stir the pot, no matter how smart and decent and concerned the person is.
This from a lawyer of 39 years experience.
Who paid for 4300 surveys to be sent out?
Well, someone needs to stir the pot, because if you don’t the stew will burn!
I love the Stockholm Syndrome analogy. It is so Idaho. The Idaho Bar is dancing with their abusers because if they don’t, they won’t survive. The ones who speak out are abused some more.
As an every day citizen, I saw this bar rating poll disclosure that suddenly appeared right before the debate as a really sleaszy political move. Maybe,the Courts/Media Judicial Committee Members should stay out of the political campaign process? Maybe Judge Burdick should address that issue in their next meeting that we really don’t know if there is/will be one scheduled or not.
For instance why isn’t Brad Iverson-Long, who wrote this article on that committee?
[...] said the survey of more than 600 lawyers by the Idaho State Bar isn’t a fair assessment of his work as a judge in north Idaho, since he said only seven lawyers practice before him and he [...]
[...] Justice Burdick has the endorsement of both the Republican and Democratic Party chairs and is higher rated as a judge by the state’s lawyers. In fact, Norm Semanko and Keith Roark are Co-Chairs of Burdick’s re-election [...]