The evaluation of each judge's performance is conducted every two years regardless of whether the judge is standing for retention election. An independent surveyor conducts a poll of lawyers appearing before each judge and asks the lawyer to anonymously evaluate the judge based on several criteria. In addition, a similar survey of jurors is conducted for district court judges. Prior to the close of a judge's term of office, the Judicial Council reviews the results of the attorney and juror polls and other standards of performance and determines whether the judge is qualified for retention. The Judicial Council has established the following minimum standards for judicial performance.
Some standards apply to all judges and some standards apply to judges of a specific court.
For justices of the Supreme Court, circulating no more than six principal opinions more than 180 days after submission. For judges of the trial court, no cases under advisement for more than 180 days and no more than 6 cases under advisement for more than 60 days. A judge who fails to meet one or more of these standards may appear before the Judicial Council and show cause why he or she should nevertheless be certified. Questions of Attorneys About Appellate Judges 1. Professional behavior is free from impropriety or the appearance of impropriety.