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Case Study:
Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission
In 2002, Cooney, Watson & Associates, Inc. was selected by the New
Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) to help the
Commission establish its identity and to communicate its findings to the
public about whether to retain 80 sitting judges and justices whose names
appeared on the November 2002 general election ballot.
Challenges
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Educate the public on the existence of the JPEC and create an identity
for this nonprofit, volunteer commission, which was established by
a mandate from the New Mexico Supreme Court.
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Create a website which would explain the Commission and its findings
to the voters of New Mexico.
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Communicate the recommendations of the JPEC on retention of a total
of 80 sitting judges and justices in a manner that was dignified and
informative, yet straightforward and easy to understand.
Activities
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Development of a logo
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Working with Indepth
Learning create a full-service website
that included a site plan, electronic scans of more than 80 photos,
a database matrix for recommendations and easy-to-navigate quick charts
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Creation and production of 350,000 copies of a 24-page tabloid report;
insertion of that report in 12 newspapers statewide with a combined
circulation of 338,833.
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Creation of a 60-second radio spot
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Planning and implementation of a press conference that attracted
four television stations, one radio station, and four local newspapers
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Development and statewide distribution of a press kit
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Scheduling of radio and newspaper interviews with Commission members
Results
As of the November 2003 general election, the JPEC public education campaign
recorded the following results:
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3 of the 4 judges for which the JPEC recommended “do not
retain” were not retained
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The campaign earned nearly 500 inches of publicity in newspapers,
reaching an estimated 1.2 million readers. Estimated value of this
earned publicity was nearly $20,000.
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The campaigned recorded nearly $25,000 in earned television and radio
coverage, reaching an estimated 4.1 million listeners/viewers.
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The JPEC website, www.nmjpec.org, recorded more than 36,000 hits,
or visits, between its launch on September 13, 2002 and the general
election on November 5, 2002.
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Overall voter participation in judicial retention elections increased
from the 2000 general election to the 2002 general election.
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