An interview with Metropolitan Court Judge Clyde DeMersseman

I met Clyde DeMersseman in 2006 when I was helping a close friend run for a district court seat. He is a talented judge and has strong family ties to our community here in Albuquerque. After reading his responses to my interview questions, I am sure that not only the women democratic voters but all democratic voters will understand just why we should be casting a vote for him in the upcoming election. I personally think that we are lucky here in Albuquerque to have a gifted group of people on our courts. We have a very good system in place to pick our Judges both for Metropolitan Court and District Court.

The Interview:

1. Do you have a campaign web site? Not active at this time.

2. Tell us your age or the month and day you were born? 41 years old.

3. What is your favorite subject area and what was the last book you read? History. Thunderstruck, by Eric Larson, a true story that combines the development of the wireless telegraph with a murder mystery.

4. Tell us something about your family. What does you wife and children think of you being a Judge? Will they be helping you with your campaign? My wife and I have been married for 10 years. We are the very proud parents of twin 4 year olds. My wife and children are excited about this upcoming election and often attend campaign events with me. Every morning when I take the kids to child care they wave to the courthouse and say “Hi, Daddy’s office.”

5. Who is the better cook in your family and do you help out in the kitchen? My wife and I take turns cooking. She is by far the better baker, but my green chile, spinach, sausage lasagna is quite tasty.

6. If we asked your wife what are your strong points and what are your weak point, what do you think she would say? She would say that one of my greatest weaknesses is my inability to do the dishes without being asked and my strength is being a good ‘Daddy’ for our kids.

7. Your parents work in the field of Education? Why did you choose the field of law? My parents both retired after long careers as public school teachers. They instilled in me and my two sisters a love of reading and learning that continues to this day. Like many people I was unsure what I wanted to do when I graduated from college, but I knew I wanted a job that allowed me to give back to my community. I saw law school as a way to combine both these things.

8. Where did you get your education and why did you decide to work here in Albuquerque, New Mexico? I was raised in Northern Colorado and graduated from College from the University of Colorado in 1989. After a year working in Washington, D.C., I returned to Colorado to attend Law School at the University of Denver. I graduated from Law School in 1994 in the top 10 % of my class and with several honors. However the best part about law school was meeting my future wife, an Albuquerque native. When we graduated, I followed her home to Albuquerque and have called it home ever since.

9. What made you decide to become a democrat? I love the openness and inclusiveness of the Democratic Party. Additionally, the Democratic Party shares my personal beliefs on the rights of individuals.

10. Tell us the experience and qualities you think would make you a good judge. I have the best experience for being a Judge, having served as a Judge for over two and a half years. During that time I presided over 20,000 cases. While presiding over these cases I learned that I can think of no better job than being a Metropolitan Court Judge. It gives me a great deal of pride and satisfaction to deal with people and resolve their issues on a daily basis. Prior to becoming a Judge, I was an assistant District Attorney in Albuquerque for four years and in private practice as a trial attorney representing injured clients for seven years.

11. Whose seat were you appoint to on the court? Which court seat are you running for this next year? I was appointed to the seat that became vacant when Judge Frank Gentry retired. I am running to keep that seat on the Metropolitan Court bench.

12. What distinguishes you from your opponent? Proven Experience. Unlike my opponents, I was recommended by a non-partisan Judicial Selection Commission to the Governor as a qualified candidate for the position of Judge. When Governor Bill Richardson reviewed this list he found me the most qualified to be a judge and appointed me to the bench. Since taking the bench I have presided over 20,000 cases that have given me valuable experience in what it takes to be a good Judge. Additionally, by looking at my record as a Judge you can see what kind of Judge I am rather than trying to guess about the unknown. My record will show that: 1) I am respected by my fellow Judges (I am appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court to the Rule’s Committee); 2) I am respected by the lawyers that appear in Court (I was rated one of the best Judges in Metropolitan Court by the Albuquerque Bar Association); and 3) I am respected by the people who appear in court daily (I am endorsed by the Albuquerque Area Firefighters, Local Union 244).

13. Please tell us why do you feel that you could do a better job? As stated in the previous answer, I am already on the job and doing it very well according to the people that appear in Court.

14. What is the biggest problem facing the judicial system when it comes to woman’s issues and what would you do to help solve them? The biggest problem is a lack of resources. Over 5,000 domestic violence cases a year are filed in Metropolitan Court and even though domestic violence is not limited to being a “woman’s issue,” the majority of these cases involve a woman being the victim of violence. The Court’s goal is to hear each of these cases on the merits or help the parties reach an alternative resolution. I minimize the intrusion of the Court on victims by not requiring the victim’s presence in Court until such time as the parties notify the Court that that case is ready for trial. However, the State often can not locate the victim for trial which unfortunately results in the case being dismissed. In my opinion, the number of domestic violence cases would drop substantially if the State were given more resources to locate and speak with victims shortly after the incident.

15. Do you feel that the general public understands how the court system here in New Mexico and Albuquerque works? I believe that most people understand the Court process, the presumption of innocence, and the Court’s role in balancing a person’s rights against the actions of those people enforcing the rules of society. However, most people that come to the Metropolitan Court are appearing in Court for the first time and therefore they do not have an in-depth knowledge of what is happening. I do my best to minimize people’s fears by treating everyone with dignity and respect. Additionally, I try to eliminate surprises by explaining to people what is happening and why it is happening. Finally, I explain my rulings in a manner that allows all the parties to learn from what has occurred.

16. If not what do you think we could do to increase the understanding of the general public when it comes to how the court system works? Even if most people have a basic understanding of the Courts, it is always a good thing to add to that understanding. I personally volunteer my time to go out into the various neighborhoods to discuss Metropolitan Court. I also volunteer my time to show how the Court works to different tour groups that come through the Courthouse, from grade school children to foreign dignitaries.