Residents of Christian County got a chance to bid farewell to Judge Jim Adams Thursday at a reception, as he retires at the end of a long career in the justice system.
Judge Adams was first elected to serve as district judge in 1993 and has served for a total of six terms. Before that, he served Christian County as chief assistant county attorney from 1982 until the time of his election.
There were several speakers, including former Sheriff Tom Scillian who says he has known the judge for a long time and says he always brought numerous values to the bench.
Retired Judge Arnold Lynch says Christian County was blessed to have Judge Adams serve on their behalf.
Adams spoke briefly to the large crowd that gathered, saying the thing he will miss the most is working with the staff at the Justice Center.
He says what he is looking forward to is spending time with family, not being on call and continuing to do some work with the court system.
Many speakers focused on the dedication Adams has shown to the Juvenile Justice System in Christian County, including being one of the driving forces behind the Juvenile Drug Court program.
Mayor Carter Hendricks presented Judge Adams with a key to the city and his official portrait that will hang in the Justice Center was unveiled at the reception.