Jul. 9, 2002

So Far So Good for Novice Richmond Judge

RICHMOND - Usually, judges get to step into the pool one pinkie toe at a time. Not George Spanos. When Spanos took the bench in Richmond last year as a rookie Contra Costa County Superior Court judge, he didn't get to warm up with a cookie-cutter DUI trial or probation violation. Instead, he had to dive right into a complicated elder abuse case that took seven days and could have been tried as a felony.