EasyMike
Judges are members of the "In" Crowd.
Judges are pulled from the host chapter and then the attendees are asked, sometimes begged, to help. I guarantee that if a non-"in crowd" modeler walked up to the organizers' table and volunteered to be a judge, that they would be put to work immediately. No experience? Then they'd have you assist another volunteer judge to learn pointers on what to look for. Next show you go to you'd be as experienced as any "in crowd" judge. And if you're a car guy who shows up at an IPMS event and volunteers to help judge, you'd probably be made head judge for the automotive category on the spot.
Bottom line, there are never enough judges available at most local shows. Ever wonder why it takes so long to do the judging? That's because there aren't enough judges judging all the excellent models on the tables.
When judges look at the dozen or so entries, normally the first look cuts the wheat from the chaff. That is, find the kits with the most basic errors (large, nasty gun tube seam, crooked tracks, gap in hull, etc.) and then concentrate on the remainder. A perfectly built, factory finished, minimally weathered kit will win over a heavily weathered, battle worn, crappy build every time.
Personally, I've spent so many tired hours in the freezing cold, and darkness of the morning hours trying to get actual tanks to look pretty for inspection so I tend to prefer building clean models with minimal weathering.
Also with gobs of mud and weathering, I often wonder what errors the builder was trying to hide.