Judicial Assignments and Profiles
Assignments
| Title | Name | Courtroom | Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asst. Presiding Judge | B. Scott Thomsen | Department 1 | Criminal |
| Judge | Alissa L. Bjerkhoel | Department 2 | Criminal and Traffic |
| Vacant | Department 3 | Family Law and Juvenile Justice | |
| Judge | Kelly Babineau | Department 4 | Criminal and Juvenile Justice |
| Commissioner | Jason LaChance |
Department 5, Truckee - Department B |
Family Law, DCSS, and Traffic |
| Presiding Judge | S. Robert Tice-Raskin | Department 6 | Civil and Probate |
| Judge | Yvette Durant | Truckee - Department A | Family Law, DCSS, Traffic, Criminal, Civil, Probate, and Juvenile Justice |
Judicial Profiles
Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Nevada, 2015–Present
- Presiding Judge, 2022–Present
- Harvard Law School, J.D. 1989
- Dartmouth College, B.A. 1985
1989-1990: Law Clerk to the Hon. J. Lawrence Irving, United States District Court, Southern District of California (San Diego), assisting the Court with adjudication of civil and criminal cases.
1990-1994: Associate and Senior Associate Attorney at Irell & Manella (Orange County), with a general business litigation practice and specializing in business litigation, environmental litigation, and white-collar criminal defense.
1995-2000: Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California (Orange County), prosecuting federal criminal cases.
2000-2009: Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California (Sacramento), prosecuting federal criminal cases and specializing in white-collar crime prosecutions.
2009-2014: Chief, White Collar Crimes Unit, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California (Sacramento), prosecuting federal criminal cases and specializing in white-collar crime prosecutions, managing team of white-collar criminal prosecutors.
2007-2014: Judge Pro Tem, Superior Court of California, Nevada, Placer and Sacramento Counties.
Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Nevada, December 2010–Present
- Presiding Judge, 2016–2018
- Assistant Presiding Judge, 2013–2015; 2019-2020; 2023
- Commissioner, Superior Court of California, Nevada and Sierra Counties, November 2005-2010
- Juvenile Hearing Officer for the Superior Court of California, County of Nevada, 2000 to May 2005
Judge Thomsen received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business administration from Menlo College.
Judge Thomsen began his legal career handling insurance defense litigation. From 1990 to 1996, he was a general practitioner and handled a wide variety of civil litigation. In 1996 he became certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. From 1996 to his appointment as Commissioner, he handled family law, dependency, delinquency and criminal defense matters.
- Faculty, 2009–2018, 2021 CJER Family Law Overview Course
- Faculty, 2011–2015 Domestic Violence + Self Represented Litigants Conference
- Faculty, 2007–2010 AB1058 Statewide Child Support Conference
- Faculty, 2008, 2009,2012 Judicial Ethics elective training
- Faculty, 2009, 2015 Family Law Institute
- Faculty, 2022 B. E. Witkin, Judicial College
- Faculty, 2009 Family Dispute Resolution Statewide Educational Institute
- Faculty, Nevada County Family Law Department Annual Update, 2001, 2002, 2006–2010, 2018
- Faculty, Nevada County Dependency Law Update, 2003
- Faculty, 2011 Granlibakken Conference
- Member, Elkins Task Force & Faculty for Implementing Elkins in Family Court
- Trustee, Nevada County Law Library 2010 to 2022
- Faculty, 2014 Nevada County Bar Association, Collateral Consequences to Convictions in Dependency
- Member, Family & Juvenile Law Advisory Committee, 2015–present; AB 1058 fuding Allocation Joint Subcommittee
- Member, Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee, 2018–2022; Funding Methodology Subcommittee
- Recipient, Hall of Fame Award, 2019, ACFLS.
Judge, Superior Court of California, Nevada County, 2021 – Present
- Assistant Presiding Judge, Superior Court of California, Sierra County, 2016 – 2021
- Court Commissioner, Superior Court of California, Nevada and Sierra Counties, 2011 – 2016
- University of Washington School of Law, J.D. 1991
- University of Nevada, Reno, B.A. with High Distinction, 1987
- 1990-1993: Associate Attorney and Law Clerk, Stanislaw, Ashbaugh & Beal, Seattle, WA – complex construction defect and product liability litigation
- 1993 -1998: Attorney, private practice, Reno, NV – landlord/tenant and real estate law
- 1999: Associate Attorney, Tonon & Associates, Truckee, CA – insurance defense in CA and NV.
- 1999-2011: Principal, Law Offices of Yvette Durant, Truckee, CA – family law, plaintiff’s personal injury, mediation
- 1999 – 2011: Judge Pro Tem, Superior Court of California for Nevada, Placer and El Dorado Counties
- Trustee, Nevada County Law Library, 2022 - Present
- Member, Judicial Council of California, Juvenile Curriculum Committee, 2018 – Present
- Member, CJER, Juvenile Law Institute Workgroup, 2018 – Present
- Member, CJER, Cow Counties Judges Institute Workgroup, 2019 - Present
- Member, Nominating Committee for District 1 Representative to CJA Board, 2020
- Member, Child Support Conference Education Advisory Workgroup, 2013 - 2016
- Treasurer and District II Representative, California Court Commissioners Association, 2013 - 2016
- Faculty, CJER Family Law Primary Assignment Orientation, 2022
- Faculty, Cow County Judges Institute, 2012, 2017-2020, 2023
- Faculty, AB 1058 Statewide Child Support Conference, 2011, 2013-2016
- Faculty, NCBA Annual Family Law Update, 2011 - 2016, 2023
Judge, Superior Court of California, Nevada County, 2023 – Present
Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Nevada 2023–Present
- California Western School of Law, JD, 2008.
- University of California, Santa Barbara, BA–History, 2004.
2008-2023: Attorney at the California Innocence Project in San Diego, CA investigating and litigating instances of wrongful conviction.
2012-2023: Panel attorney at the Sixth District Appellate Program, representing indigent appellants in criminal matters.
2010-2023: Panel attorney at the Appellate Defender’s Inc., representing indigent appellants in criminal matters.
2020-present: Fellow, American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Associate Member, 2014-2016, Member, 2016-2019).
Judge Bjerkhoel is a native of Nevada County.
Court Commissioner—Superior Court of California, Nevada & Sierra Counties—January 2017–Present
- Current Assignment–Dept. 5 Nevada City Branch, Dept. B Truckee Branch, Dept 1 Sierra County
- John Marshall Law School, J.D. 2003
- Arizona State University, B.A. 1999
2004-2005: Attorney–Private Practice, practicing litigation in the areas of family law, real estate, and traffic matters.
2005-2013: Associate Attorney–The Law Offices of Brent P. Collinson, practicing litigation in the areas of family law, landlord/tenant, real estate, probate, and special districts. Practice further included the areas of estate planning and real estate transactions.
2014-2016: Partner–Collinson & LaChance, Attorneys at Law, practicing primarily in the areas of family law, landlord/tenant, probate, and special districts.