Retain judges Steven Cranfill and Bruce Waters, attorneys say

Posted 10/16/14

Some 85.3 percent of lawyers surveyed by the Wyoming State Bar said they support keeping Waters on as a Circuit Court judge, while 77.6 percent want to retain Cranfill as a District Court judge. The State Bar released the results of its biennial …

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Retain judges Steven Cranfill and Bruce Waters, attorneys say

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Voters should keep Park County District Court Judge Steven Cranfill and Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters on their respectives benches, Wyoming attorneys say.

Some 85.3 percent of lawyers surveyed by the Wyoming State Bar said they support keeping Waters on as a Circuit Court judge, while 77.6 percent want to retain Cranfill as a District Court judge. The State Bar released the results of its biennial Judicial Advisory Poll on Tuesday.

Close to 100 attorneys who’ve appeared before Cranfill within the past two years weighed in on whether he should be kept in office: 76 supported keeping the judge while 22 did not.

Waters got favorable reviews from 29 of the 34 lawyers who offered an opinion on his performance. Five said they did not want him to stay on the bench.

Voters across the Big Horn Basin get the ultimate say during the Nov. 4 general election. Cranfill and Waters need at least 50 percent of the vote to earn another six and four years on the job, respectively. It is extremely rare for a judge to be removed from office.

While both Park County judges received strong support from the surveyed lawyers, the results show Cranfill received lower ratings than the average District Court judge while Waters received above average marks compared to other Circuit Court jurists.

The State Bar provided the breakdowns comparing each judge’s ratings to their peers’, but also cautioned “the poll is NOT a competition between judges, as different attorneys are evaluating each judge.

“The poll is to assist a judge in identifying areas of opportunity for improvement,” the bar association wrote in a news release accompanying the data.

Cranfill’s and Waters’ ratings have improved in nearly every area since 2010, the last year for which comparable data is readily available.

Despite the improvement, Cranfill’s 77.6 percent approval rating in this year’s survey was third-lowest among the 11 District Court judges standing for retention. He also ranked below the average District Court judge in eight of the 11 categories surveyed.

However, the low rankings are highly relative: a near super-majority of the surveyed attorneys — 64.5 percent or more — either somewhat or strongly approved of Cranfill’s performance in every area measured.

The judge received the highest marks for courteousness and politeness. More than 88 percent of the surveyed attorneys approved of the courtesy Cranfill shows in court, ranking him significantly above the average.

Cranfill’s next-best category came for his integrity and ethics. Nearly 80 percent of the attorneys approved of the judge’s integrity in carrying out the duties of his office, though — in an example of how high the bar is set — that ranked slightly below the average District Court judge.

Cranfill received his lowest ranking for the clarity and reasoning of his decisions. Nearly one out of every four attorneys who responded (23.4 percent) disapproved of Cranfill’s performance in that area (66 percent approved).

Meanwhile, Waters’ overall 85.3 percent approval rating put him in the middle of the 12 Circuit Court judges up for a retention vote. He also received above average ratings in 10 of the 11 individual categories surveyed.

The lone exception was Waters’ courteousness and politeness, where more than 12 percent of the attorneys expressed strong or some disapproval. Still, the vast majority — 78 percent — approved of the way Waters treats people in the courtroom.

Waters received the highest marks for his integrity and ethics. More than 85 percent of the attorneys approved of his performance in that area — 74 percent strongly.

The judge received the lowest marks on his open-mindedness and impartiality, as 12.6 percent of the attorneys expressed concern. However, Waters still ranked above the average Circuit Court judge in that area.

Waters received 71.9 percent approval or higher on every topic.

The survey also covered judges’ knowledge of the law, attentiveness to lawyers’ arguments, how well they address legal issues, their participation in professional activities, their promptness, their adherence to legal rules and procedures and their preparedness.

Cranfill was appointed to the bench in September 2006, being retained by voters in 2008. His salary is $150,000.

Waters was appointed to his post in February 2001, and voters chose to keep him in office in 2002, 2006 and 2010. His salary is $119,000.

Local voters also will be asked whether they want to retain two Wyoming Supreme Court justices. An overwhelming majority of the attorneys surveyed by the State Bar said they support both Justice Michael K. David (94.1 percent) and Justice E. James Burke (92.5 percent). The justices are paid $165,000 a year.

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