Public Decisions Database

This database contains decisions on all public judicial disciplinary cases since the inception of the commission in 1960. Cases not involving public charges or public discipline remain confidential under the California Constitution and the commission’s rules.

Pursuant to amendments to the Constitution, which took effect in March 1995, the commission is authorized to impose all disciplinary sanctions, subject to discretionary review by the Supreme Court. Prior to that, the Supreme Court had the authority to censure or remove judges from office upon recommendation by the commission.

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First Name	G. Dennis
Last Name	Adams
Title	Judge
Inquiry No.	104
Court Level	Superior Court
County/Appellate District	San Diego
Discipline/Determination	Removal from office
Decision By	Supreme Court
Date of Decision	07/20/1995
Method of Resolution	Decision
Types of Misconduct	Bias/appearance of bias not directed toward a particular class Disqualification/disclosure/post-disqualification conduct Failure to cooperate/lack of candor with regulatory authorities Gifts/loans/favors/ticket-fixing Improper business, financial or fiduciary activities
Petition For Review
Summary	Judge Adams engaged in successive extrajudicial transactions with a litigant who had obtained a multi-million dollar damage award in a court trial presided over by the judge; some of the transactions involved the litigant’s attorney, who frequently appeared before the judge. The judge also engaged in other transactions involving other attorneys who appeared before the judge over a significant period of time. Additionally, Judge Adams accepted gifts or financial benefits from attorneys or their law firms whose interests had come and were likely to come before him, and he assisted or otherwise communicated with members of a law firm regarding matters pending before the court. The judge also made material misstatements or omissions to the commission.
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