Are female judges ruder than male or just rated that way?
In a continuing series about responses to the survey on the judiciary, Franky Geary at the R-J reports that female judges did not fair well in the courtesy department. In fact, the female judge ranked highest in courtesy (Judge Gonzales), achieved a ranking that was lower than all but two of the male judges.
The R-J does note that the results could be skewed; “One probable factor is that two-thirds of the attorneys surveyed were men and, according to experts who study judges and the courts, attorneys and litigants favor a judge similar to them, whether in age, ethnic makeup or gender.”
Ya think? Haven’t there been studies showing that the exact same statement or conduct coming will be perceived one way if coming from a man, and very differently if coming from a woman?
Might a judge be perceived as “discourteous” simply because she is assertive enough to control her courtroom?
See the R-J article at Lawyers rate female jurists as less courteous than men.
