Pierce County Superior Court is pleased to announce that Matthew Thomas and Susan Adams will start on the bench this Thursday, October 1, 2020. Both judges were appointed by Governor Jay Inslee earlier this year to be the next judicial officers for Department 13 and Department 11, respectively. They will have a private swearing-in ceremony at 8 am Thursday morning. There will be a public swearing-in at a later time.
Judge Thomas will replace Judge Kathryn J. Nelson who’s last day was September 18, 2020. Thomas has been an assistant U.S. attorney for more than 20 years. Before that he was a deputy prosecutor for Pierce County.
Judge Adams replaces Judge G. Helen Whitener, who was appointed to the Washington Supreme Court. Adams has been the City of Lakewood Municipal Court Judge since January 2017. Before that, from 2005 to 2017, Adams served as the founding director of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center.
Please join us in congratulating Judge Thomas and Judge Adams on their appointment to the Pierce County Superior Court bench.