
Thomas R. Adams never expected the work on the Santa Barbara Superior Court to be easy and his predictions have been borne out in the 15 months he has been on the bench.
Adams was appointed to the superior court by then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Dec. 31, 1982, after he had been a municipal court commissioner and referee for more than four years. In his new job, the judge presides over criminal and civil trials and handles the civil and family law and motion calendar... (continued)