UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — The first Black woman appointed to judge in the District Court of Maryland in Prince George's County is getting ready to retire.
The Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson Adams will retire as the Chief and Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County and Seventh Judicial Circuit of Maryland on Dec. 31, 2022.
Adams has served as the Administrative Judge for 12 years.
In June 1993, Judge Adams became the first Black woman appointed by then Governor William Donald Schaefer to the District Court of Maryland in Prince George's County. She served in that capacity for three years before she was moved up to the Circuit Court for Prince George's County by then-Gov. Parris Glendening in 1996.
On Sept. 4, 2010, following the Retirement of Judge William D. Missouri, then Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell appointed her as Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County and the 7th Judicial Circuit of Maryland.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as Chief and Administrative judge in Prince George's County, and I hope, during my tenure, the residents in the County have benefitted from having a fair forum for justice that provides efficient and innovative services," said Judge Adams. "I have led the Court through floods and fires that damaged Court facilities and even through a pandemic, and I am proud to say that we always overcame, persevered and thrived together."
While serving as Chief and Administrative Judge, Judge Adams created a vision statement to exemplify the Court’s goals when providing judicial services:
"The Circuit Court Welcomes All - A Forum for Justice."
The statement has been the basis of every initiative, program and goal throughout the Court.
Officials say under Judge Adams' leadership, the Problem-Solving Courts was expanded to further assist youth and adults facing a myriad of challenges. The Veterans, Re-Entry, Truancy Reduction, Juvenile Diversion and Back on Track Courts were also established to help people who have served in the military, people who struggle with substance issues, students with truancy struggles and the formerly incarcerated succeed in life.
During her tenure, Judge Adams focused on providing resources and help to survivors of elder abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence and sex trafficking. She did so by creating the Prince George's County Family Justice Center (PGCFJC), an initiative of the Circuit Court. The Center has served residents in the county in need of assistance (even through the global pandemic).
As the pandemic continued for nearly three years, Judge Adams aided and led the way in enhancing the Court's technology and accessibility to the public. More hearings and trials were held virtually, and litigants were even able to access Zoom links via a website that provided all the information they needed to attend judicial proceedings.
Security was also a priority of Judge Adams. She led the way for the design and construction of a security checkpoint near the Courthouse. Delivery vehicles are now required to go through an extensive search at the checkpoint by the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office K-9 Team to determine if there are any hazardous or explosive materials inside any of the vehicles. Another security measure that Judge Adams developed was to create a Security Command Center complete with IT workers who monitor hundreds of security cameras throughout the Courthouse Complex.
The Center also now has the capacity of being monitored by Court officials 24/7. This initiative was extremely important to enhance security measures, which was one Judge Adam's primary goals.
After pandemic restrictions were lifted, Judge Adams shifted her focus to implementing a new case management system called Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC). Her goal was to transition Court operations to an electronic system and go nearly paperless. With MDEC, attorneys are required to utilize electronic filing when representing clients in civil and criminal cases. Electronic filing is optional for self-represented litigants. Employees also can access files virtually via the online system instead of having to hunt down paper files. After years of planning and training sessions, MDEC went live successfully in Prince George’s County on October 17, 2022.
Overall, Judge Adams used technology to modernize the Court.
A fearless and bold leader, officials say Judge Adams' tenure and leadership will continue to impact Prince George's County and the legal system for years to come.
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