Charles Daniels
Charles W. Daniels was a justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court. He was appointed by Democratic Governor Bill Richardson in October 2007 to replace former Justice Pamela Minzner, who passed away. He was elected to finish her term in 2008. Daniels served as chief justice from 2010 until 2012 and from 2016 to 2018.[1][2] In 2010, he was retained for another eight-year term that ended on December 31, 2018.
Daniels retired at the end of his term on December 31, 2018.[3] Click here for more information about the Supreme Court vacancy.
Daniels passed away on September 1, 2019.[4]
Education
Daniels received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona. He earned his J.D. from the University of New Mexico. He also held a master of laws degree in trial advocacy from Georgetown University.[5][6]
Military service
Daniels served in the United States Air Force for five years.[5]
Career
Before his appointment to the bench, Daniels primarily worked in private practice. He also taught at the University of New Mexico School of Law.[5]
Awards and associations
Awards
- Outstanding Lawyer of the Year Award, Albuquerque Bar Association
- Quality of Life Award, New Mexico Bar Association
- National Trial Advocacy Teacher of the Year Award, Roscoe Pound Foundation[5]
Elections
2018
- See also: New Mexico Supreme Court elections, 2018
Charles Daniels did not file to run for re-election.
2010
- See also: New Mexico judicial elections, 2010
Justice Daniels was retained to the Supreme Court on November 2, 2010 by 72.9 percent of voters.[7]
2008
Daniels ran uncontested for election to the seat he was appointed to in 2007 in the November 2008 general election.[8]
Political contributions
According to campaign finance records, Daniels contributed to several Democratic candidates prior to joining the New Mexico Supreme Court.[9][10][11]
| Year | Race | Candidate | Contribution | Won/Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | New Mexico State Senate | Thomas Rutherford (D) | $25 | Won |
| 1996 | New Mexico State Senate | Manny Aragon (D) | $250 | Won |
| 1998 | New Mexico Governor | Martin Chavez (D) | $3,000 | Lost |
| 1998 | New Mexico Lieutenant Governor | Reese Fullerton (D) | $100 | Lost |
| 1998 | New Mexico Lieutenant Governor | Diane Denish (D) | $100 | Lost |
| 2000 | New Mexico State Senate | Dede Feldman (D) | $100 | Won |
| 2002 | New Mexico State Senate | Miguel Garcia (D) | $50 | Won |
| 2004 | New Mexico House of Representatives | William O'Neill (D) | $250 | Won |
| 2004 | New Mexico Supreme Court | Edward Chavez (D) | $1,000 | Won |
| 2006 | New Mexico Governor | Bill Richardson (D) | $200 | Won |
| 2006 | New Mexico Auditor | Hector Balderas (D) | $100 | Won |
| 2006 | New Mexico House of Representatives | Traci Jo Cadigan (D) | $100 | Lost |
Political donors
The following table includes the three organizations that donated the most to Daniels' campaigns for the New Mexico Supreme Court, according to publicly available campaign finance information.[11]
| Donor | Contribution |
|---|---|
| FREEDMAN BOYD HOLLANDER GOLDBERG & IVES | $33,138 |
| MCGINN CARPENTER MONTOYA & LOVE | $16,569 |
| Unser Racing Museum | $2,000 |
Political ideology
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Daniels received a campaign finance score of -1.49, indicating a liberal ideological leaning. This was more liberal than the average score of -1.18 that justices received in New Mexico.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[12]
See also
External links
- New Mexico Supreme Court, "Justice Charles W. Daniels"
- Reading Eagle, "NM high court: Emissions cap proposal may proceed," June 7, 2010
- New Mexico Business Weekly, "New NM Supreme Court justice to headline Dixon Awards," March 24, 2008
- Albuquerque Journal, "Charles Daniels Named to Supreme Court," October 17, 2007
- National Institute on Money in State Politics, "Judicial Diversity and Money in Politics: New Mexico"
Footnotes
- ↑ Legal Newsline.com, "New Mexico Supreme Court has new chief justice," April 8, 2010
- ↑ Associated Press, "NM Supreme Court swears in new chief justice" April 8, 2010
- ↑ New Mexico Courts, "Two Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court not seeking retention in the general election," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New Mexico Political Report, "Former Chief Justice Daniels dies," September 1, 2019
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 New Mexico Supreme Court, "Justice Charles W. Daniels"
- ↑ Albuquerque Business First, "Richardson selects Albuquerque attorney for Supreme Court," October 17, 2007
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Unofficial Statewide Results"
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "November 2008 election results"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Daniels, Charles W," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Daniels, Charles W," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Follow the Money, "Daniels, Charles W," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of New Mexico • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of New Mexico
State courts:
New Mexico Supreme Court • New Mexico Court of Appeals • New Mexico District Courts • New Mexico Magistrate Court • New Mexico Municipal Courts • New Mexico Probate Courts • New Mexico Problem-Solving Courts • New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration Court • Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
State resources:
Courts in New Mexico • New Mexico judicial elections • Judicial selection in New Mexico
