Two new judges for El Dorado County Superior Court

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two attorneys with local ties will soon be sworn in as El Dorado County superior court judges, filling a gap that brought in visiting judges to local courts for over a year.

Mike McLaughlin, partner at Feldman McLaughlin Thiel LLP, will become the new judge of Department 4 in South Lake Tahoe, and Jamie Pesce, a deputy district attorney, will be assigned to family law in Department 5 of the local court system, located in the main Courthouse in Placerville.

Governor Brown recently announced the appointment of 33 new California superior court judges, a list that included McLaughlin and Pesce.

McLaughlin has been in South Lake Tahoe since 1998. Prior to arrival the lion's share of his work was in civil litigation, and in the last twenty years he's taken on all types of cases, including civil ones. He was set to go to trial on October 29 so had another lawyer take over that case as well as several pending cases in both Nevada and California.

In Department 4 he will be handling every type of case, a unique assignment in the court according to Presiding Judge Suzanne Kingsbury. He will hear civil, probate, family law cases, criminal and juvenile matters as well as the collaborative justice courts.

"We are so pleased Mike has been appointed to the EDC Superior Court," said Lew Feldman, managing partner of Feldman McLaughlin Thiel LLP. "We were not surprised Mike’s excellent legal work and reputation was acknowledged by the Governor and believe our community is very fortunate to have someone with Mike’s intellect, experience, outstanding disposition and sense of fairness serve in this capacity."

Pesce will be assigned to family law in Department 5 of the local court system, located in the main Courthouse in Placerville. She was the prosecutor in several South Lake Tahoe trials including that involving Manuel Ovidio Ramos-Munoz who was sentenced to 183 years in prison for sexually assaulting a foreign exchange student outside a South Lake Tahoe motel, and in the case against Adam Buchanan who was found guilty on three counts of murder after killing his family and setting their cabin on fire.

“I’ve had the pleasure of having both Mike and Jamie spend significant time in my courtroom," said Judge Kingsbury. "Both of them are intelligent, energetic and committed to serving our court and our community. Mike's first year will involve a whirlwind of judicial education and on the job training, and he is more than up to the task. Jamie will initially serve in Department 5 in Placerville, where she will be handling family law and domestic violence cases. Jamie’s background as a deputy district attorney has provided her with broad experience in handling matters involving legal issues concerning children and families. Moreover, her experience in working in busy calendar courts will be a huge asset in overseeing one of our busiest departments. Over time, Jamie will be assigned to each of our West Slope departments, so that she will have the broad knowledge base required to hear any case type. El Dorado County is very fortunate that the Governor appointed such capable and qualified candidates to our bench.”

McLaughlin, 52, has two daughters. The eldest is a sophomore at the University of Nevada, Reno and the youngest is a junior at South Tahoe High. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Loyola Marymount University. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James R. Wagoner. McLaughlin is a Democrat.

Pesce, 39, of Folsom, has been with the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office since 2005. She was a sole practitioner and a research attorney at Orion Outdoor Media in 2005. Pesce earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Davis. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Steven C. Bailey. Pesce is a Republican.

The public is invited to both of their swearing in ceremonies. Pesce will be sworn in Friday, October 25 at 4:30 p.m. at the Main Street Courthouse in Placerville. McLaughlin will be sworn in on Tuesday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m. in Judge Kingsbury's courtroom in South Lake Tahoe.

In an earlier appointment, local defense attorney Mark Ralphs was appointed as Superior Court judge of Department 7, the court where general criminal pretrial and DUI/drug court and traffic cases are heard.