Judging the Judges: North Las Vegas judge Hoeffgen’s numbers rebound

North Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge Sean Hoeffgen is a great rebounder, according to results of the Las Vegas Review-Journal's latest Judicial Performance Evaluation.

Seventy-two percent of the 47 attorneys who rated him said the judge, in his second six-year term as one of the city's two Municipal Court judges, should be retained. Neither Hoeffgen nor the other judge, Catherine Ramsey, are up for re-election this year .

Hoeffgen bounced back from a 2010 survey, when just 56 percent thought he should be retained and he suffered the biggest rating decline among judges. His retention score had been 80 percent just two years earlier.

"I've been all over the place," Hoeffgen said, adding that he had no idea why his numbers vacillated so much. "I feel like I have handled cases the same way since I started."

His highest marks in the latest survey were for courtesy, punctuality and issuing orders without unnecessary delay. But nearly a third found him less than adequate on weighing evidence and arguments before making a decision and on making appropriate rulings.

Anonymous comments from attorneys indicate strong feelings about Hoeffgen. While a couple had positive things to say -- "very professional with everyone," "potential to be great" -- the majority of comments were negative, with several calling him arrogant.

"This guy is his own biggest fan," one attorney wrote.

"By far the worst municipal judge," another wrote.

Hoeffgen suggested those comments may be a result of his limited tolerance for attorneys who either don't show up or are late to court.

"That's not professional, and I've gone after attorneys pretty harshly for doing that," he said. "Maybe I could have handled that better."

New judge Ramsey got the first judicial scores of her career in the 2011 survey.

Ramsey, who was elected in June and became the first female judge on the city's Municipal Court, said she was happy with her 69 percent retention score.

She noted that she fared well when compared to other female Municipal Court judges from other jurisdictions in prior surveys, "and I have only been on the bench for a few months."

Only 36 attorneys rated Ramsey, perhaps because of her short tenure.

Her highest scores were for courtesy and for professional conduct "free from impropriety and the appearance of impropriety." But nearly a third of the attorneys gave her poor ratings on traits closely related to judicial competence -- weighing all arguments, properly applying law and rules, making appropriate decisions and explaining them.

"I'm sure she's got a bright future," one commenter wrote.

Others weren't so kind. One said Ramsey "lacks experience and the skills and attributes for holding judicial office."

Ramsey disputed that comment.

"When you're new to the bench, people think you don't know what you're doing," she said. "If I lacked the required skills I wouldn't have qualified for the office."

The Municipal Court has jurisdiction over traffic violations and misdemeanor offenses occurring within the city limits of North Las Vegas.

Since 2008, judges in the court have been required to hold law degrees.

Judge Warren Van Landschoot, a former police officer and detective who did not have a law degree, was elected before the rule applied, and remained on the court until his retirement in June.

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at
lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.