AJC Home > Retention Election Information > Adolf V. Zeman
VOTE YES
Adolf V. Zeman
Anchorage Superior Court | Third Judicial District
Judge Zeman was appointed to the Anchorage Superior Court in April of 2020. This is his first retention election.
Performance Summary
After conducting its performance review, the Judicial Council determined that Judge Zeman met or exceeded performance standards on all criteria, including professional competence and legal ability, integrity, impartiality and fairness, temperament, diligence, and administrative skills.
The Council also determined that Judge Zeman met or exceeded educational requirements set by the Alaska Supreme Court, complied with judicial ethics requirements, and made exceptional contributions to the community and to the administration of justice.
Because Judge Zeman met or exceeded all performance and educational standards, the Alaska Judicial Council recommends a “yes” vote on retention in office.
Performance Findings
The Council conducts a thorough performance review of each judge standing for retention. Key findings for Judge Zeman include:
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Ratings by justice system professionals: Attorneys who appeared before Judge Zeman gave him excellent reviews (4.4 overall), as did court employees (4.5 overall). The chart provided summarizes Judge Zeman's survey ratings.
Juror Survey:
Jurors who served in Judge Zeman’s courtroom were surveyed about his performance, and they gave him excellent ratings. The chart provided summarizes Judge Zeman's juror survey ratings.- Detailed survey ratings can be viewed here.
Professional activities: Judge Zeman made exceptional contributions to the administration of justice and the community during his term in office.
- He served on the Alaska Bar Association’s Law Related Education Committee, a group that develops and participates in various programs for teachers, students and the public to provide education about civic responsibilities, the law, the courts, and the legal system.
- He chaired the court system’s Pattern Civil Jury Instructions Committee, a group the reviews and revises jury instructions used by judges and lawyers in civil cases.
- He served on the Newer Judge Conference Planning Committee, a court system committee responsible for planning annual training for all newer judges (judges with fewer than three years of experience on the bench).
- He served on the court system’s E-File Planning Committee, a group that helps plan implementation of the court system’s conversion to electronic filing of cases and documents.
- He served on a court system committee that considered how best to organize the schedules of court employees who work in the courtroom.
- He participated in mock trial events and competitions in which students practice trial skills by arguing legal cases to people playing the roles of jurors.
- More information about Judge Zeman’s professional, educational, and outreach activities can be found here.
Other performance indicators: A review of Judge Zeman’s financial and conflict of interest statements showed he complied with all disclosure requirements.
Timeliness: Alaska law requires judges’ pay be withheld when a decision has been pending longer than six months. The Council verified that Judge Zeman was paid on schedule, and he certified that he had no untimely decisions.
Ethics: There were no public disciplinary proceedings against Judge Zeman, and the Council’s review found no ethical concerns.
