@sbindependent: Last Friday, Judge Thomas Anderle graciously allowed himself to be ambushed by a courtroom full of past and present attorneys, judges, and other courthouse regulars intent on giving the 91-year-old judge as fond a surprise farewell as could be mustered. For nearly a minute, they gave Anderle a standing ovation. Friday was Anderle’s last day on his 30 years handling some of the court’s thorniest civil cases, almost always contentious family law cases, and its even more convoluted environmental law disputes. On the bench, Anderle could be both booming and contemplative, gracious and garrulous. But always, it was Anderle’s courtroom. Utterly unswerving, Anderle is famous for never reversing any of his tentative rulings, though he allowed attorneys to try. Lured out into his courtroom under false pretenses — his longtime staff wanted to take one more photo of the judge in his black robe and courtroom — Anderle raised his arms skyward at the applause and exclaimed, “You move me beyond words. Thank you. That’s all I can say.” 📹️: Courtesy   #santabarbarasuperiorcourt #santabarbara #courtroom

Santa Barbara Independent

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Thursday 05 November 2026 19:09:45 GMT