Madera County Superior
Though Thomas L. Bender was ready for the crunch of cases when he took the bench, he had little preparation overseeing civil matters.
"I kind of knew what to expect because I'd worked in this court, and I knew that this is the busiest court in Madera County," says the 42-year-old Bender, who was elected to the Madera Justice Court in November 1994. The position was converted to the Madera Division of Madera County Municipal Court by constitutional amendm... (continued)