Judge Tom M. Dyer

Hon. Tom M. Dyer serves in Department 6 at the woodland. Appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on 01/04/2019. B.A. Philosophy, UC Davis. J.D. 2003, UC Davis School of Law. Pre-bench career: After law school, Dyer served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Sutter County District Attorney's Office (2003–2005), prosecuting felony cases. He then transitioned to executive branch service, holding positions including Legislative Director at the California Department of Finance, and ultimately serving as Chief Deputy Legislative Affairs Secretary in Governor Brown's Office (2015–2018), advising on legislative strategy across state government..

Tom M. Dyer serves in Department 6 at the woodland. Tom M. Dyer attended UC Davis and earned their J.D. from UC Davis School of Law in 2003. Notable: Appointed by Governor Brown and sworn in January 4, 2019 Elected as Presiding Judge of Yolo County Superior Court for 2025–2026 Alumnus of both UC Davis (undergraduate) and UC Davis School of Law (J.D.)

• critical

  Check tentative ruling on court website

  Available the day before the hearing at https://www.yolocourt.org/.
• important

  Research Tom M. Dyer's recent rulings via Trellis.Law

  Review recent rulings to understand the judge's current approach before appearing.
• important

  Prepare concise oral argument — do not simply repeat your brief

  Identify the 1-2 key points most likely to move the court and focus your time on those. Watch for signals from the bench.

• nice

  Organize all exhibits and declarations with tabs

  Pre-mark all exhibits and have a clean set for the court. Disorganized exhibits slow proceedings.

• ›Arrive at least 10 minutes early
• ›Address the court as 'Your Honor'
• ›Stand when addressing the court unless invited to remain seated
• ›Do not interrupt other counsel or the court
• ›Have all exhibits pre-marked and organized before the hearing
• ›Silence all electronic devices
• ›Cite specific page and line numbers when referencing filed documents