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Charles F. Adams↗
Associate Justice
First retention voteTrellis trial record
Former family law attorney and federal clerk; Santa Clara family division supervising judge, named 2025 Judge of the Year by a local trial lawyers group.
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Charles F. Adams on the court (first retention vote). Appears on ballots in Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.
Qualifications
Appointment. Appointed by Gov. Newsom, 2026.
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Family law practice; Santa Clara Superior Court staff attorney; law clerk to U.S. District Judge Edward Davila. Santa Clara Superior Court judge 2018 to 2026, supervising the family division; 2025 Judge of the Year (Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association).
Conduct
No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend
- YesSan Francisco Chronicle (newspaper editorial board)
- YesIndivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices) (progressive group)
- NoCraig Huey voter guide (conservative guide)
- NoReform California (conservative guide)
Robyn Nordell's conservative guide repeats Craig Huey's picks, so it is not listed separately.
Trellis does not make recommendations. These are positions published by outside groups as of October 16, 2026. Labels describe each group's general leaning.
Notable rulings
No widely reported rulings found.
From the trial court record
Heard a mix of cases, most often employment cases (38%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases took about as long as the county average. This is a small record, so read it with caution.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Bars compare this judge with county and state averages. Differences usually reflect the kinds of cases a judge was assigned.
Motions granted
Average case length
Time to trial
Caseload mix
Labor & Employment 38.0%, Family 26.3%, Torts 15.2%
| Motion type | Granted | Rulings | County avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrer | 57.9% | 28 | 55.6% |
Santa Clara County Superior Court · 173 docketsUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sample rulings from the trial bench
- EmploymentEmployee v. Alliant Insurance Services (2026-02-26)Motion granted An employee brought a proposed wage-and-hour class action. The judge rejected her argument that the job's arbitration agreement was unfairly one-sided, sent her claims to private arbitration and paused the court case. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
Sources: Court bio
Others on the same ballot
- Charles E. Wilson IIFormer deputy DA; Santa Clara trial judge supervising family violence. Ruled that making three Spanish-speaking defendants share one interpreter violated the right to an interpreter.
- Frederick S. ChungFormer Gibson Dunn partner with 22 years of civil litigation; Santa Clara trial judge since 2018. Nominee; would take the seat in 2027; no appellate rulings.
- Allison Marston DannerFormer U.S. Supreme Court clerk, Vanderbilt law professor and federal prosecutor; Santa Clara trial judge 2012 to 2018. No widely reported rulings in the record; no discipline found.
- Daniel H. BrombergFormer appellate partner at Jones Day and Pillsbury and deputy legal affairs secretary to the governor; never a trial judge. No widely reported rulings yet.