Young appointed district judge

Minden defense attorney Tod Young will be the next Ninth Judicial District Court judge, replacing retiring Judge Dave Gamble, Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Friday.

Young was selected from a pool of three finalists that also included Reno lawyer Marc Picker and Minden attorney Jim Hales.

"Tod's breadth of experience which comes from owning his own law practice to serving as an arbitrator will serve as a strong foundation for the bench," Sandoval said. "Combined with having served as a legal guardian, I am confident that Tod will be a valuable addition to the Ninth Judicial District Court."

Young, 54, is a criminal defense attorney in private practice. He also is one of Douglas County's three court-appointed attorneys to handle indigent criminal defendants.

He was admitted to the Nevada bar in 1985.

Young said Friday he was honored with the appointment.

"I am especially honored given the fact that Douglas County has had a tradition of really outstanding district court judges. It's a real privilege to be next in line in that position knowing the history the Douglas County courthouse has had," he said.

Young said he hoped to sworn in as judge on Feb. 1.

"That will give me time to close my office and make arrangements for my clients. I want to take care of people I have obligated myself to," Young said.

"I certainly don't know how to do this job yet," he said. "I never had a job that I knew how to do when I got it, but I am a fairly quick study and I am willing to work very hard.

"I am anxious to do a good job and not disappoint the people who put so much faith in me. I want to thank all the people who supported me throughout this whole process," Young said.

He is a graduate of Mississippi College School of Law. During law school, he worked for Legal Services of Southern Ohio as a law clerk and in the law school library. He was Moot Court Board Chairman from 1982 until 1983 and won the Robert G. Gillespie Award for Outstanding Oral Argument in 1981 and 1982. From 1982 until 1983, he was the associate editor of the student newspaper, The Legal Eye.

From February 1994 through March of 1999, Young was managing partner of Beavers and Young, P.C. in Minden.

Over the last five years, 90 percent of Young's work has been related to litigation and trial courts. Since 1997, he has served as an arbitrator and been appointed as arbitrator by courts in the First, Second and Ninth Judicial Districts.

He has served as an adjunct professor and a guest lecturer at Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada Community College. Additionally, from 2007 until 2010, Young was a guest lecturer for the State of Nevada Department of Public Safety Cadet Training.