Kentucky Bar Association members are asked periodically to review and rate judges across the Commonwealth. A Judicial Evaluation Committee was created in 2016 to help in the creation of the evaluation and in 2019 another Judicial Evaluation Committee was created to administer the evaluation and ensure the validity of the results. Members of the Circuit and District Judges associations, as well as members of the Bar served on this committee. This evaluation was part of the Kentucky Bar Association’s strategic plan which aims to strengthen the judiciary. Results from the evaluations are located below. For information on the Judicial Evaluation, please contact KBA Executive Director John D. Meyers at jmeyers@kybar.org.
(Source https://www.kybar.org/page/2021JudicialEvaluation)
Hon. Doreen Showalter Goodwin
District 12 (Henry, Oldham and Trimble Counties)
RESULTS
Renders decisions that reflect sound legal analysis;
Exhibits knowledge of substantive law;
Exhibits knowledge of procedural rules and evidentiary law
Only 40% of attorneys strongly agree with this statement
22.7% disagree or strongly disagree
What is our acceptable standard?
Overall legal ability
More than a quarter of all responding attorneys (27.2%) rate Judge Goodwin’s overall legal ability less than “good,” choosing “fair” or “poor” as their choices. We deserve the best.
Appropriately enforces court rules, orders and deadlines; Refrains from interfering with the role of counsel in case presentation
Roughly one third of respondees were able to say they “strongly agree” with the statements above. (36% and 31% respectively) If our Family Court Judge cannot follow rules themselves, how can they hold their families accountable?
Overall case management
40.9% of attorneys rate Judge Goodwin’s performance as less than “good.” (31.8% fair, 9.1% poor) There’s no such thing as “good enough” when it comes to our families. 100% excellency should be the standard.
Conducts court in a timely manner; Dedicates the appropriate amount of time to the bench
27.2% believe Judge Goodwin does not devote enough time to the bench, and 22.7% do not agree, or strongly disagree, with Goodwin’s timeliness. Children and families deserve answers.
Is familiar with the file so as to consider issues presented
This survey showed that one out of every 6 attorneys feel that Judge Goodwin is not familiar with the case files before in her court. Can a judge make a decision about your children without being prepared?
Overall diligence
Results show that 54.% of all attorneys rate Judge Goodwin’s diligence less than “excellent.” Does your family deserve the presiding judge’s full attention?
Conducts court proceedings courteously
22.7% of attorneys rejected the statement above. 18.2% “strongly disagree” with the statement. Doesn’t everyone deserve respect in a courtroom?
Treats all persons before the court with dignity, including pro se litigants; Exhibits self-control
Only 27% of attorneys “strongly” agreed that Judge Goodwin treats all pesrons with dignity. 40% rejected both statements above with “disagree” or “strongly disagree.” Family court is messy. We all deserve dignity.
Does not predetermine the outcome of the case
18.1% of attorneys feel their case was determined by Judge Goodwin before entering the courtroom. Why wait for a hearing if this is the case?
Overall integrity and impartiality
31.8% rate Judge Goodwin’s integrity and impartiality as “fair” or “poor.” This is simply not good enough.
Overall performance
31.8% rate Judge Goodwin’s overall performance as “fair” or “poor.” Does this mean that she has failed almost one third of all families seen in her courtoom?