Overview
The Hon. Janene Beronio (Ret.) was a judge for the Yolo County Superior Court in California[1]. Beronio was elected to the bench on June 3, 2014, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Stephen L. Mock[2][3]. She retired at the end of her term in 2026[1].
While on the bench, Beronio's assignments included criminal matters from 2015 to 2019, juvenile matters from 2020 to 2023, and family matters beginning in 2024[3]. She also served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division in 2015, supervising judge of the Criminal Division from 2016 to 2019, presiding judge of the Juvenile Court from 2020 to 2023, and later supervising judge of the Family Division[3]. Earlier, during her years as Yolo County's first court commissioner, she handled adult and juvenile traffic calendars, small claims and unlawful detainer matters, juvenile dependency and delinquency proceedings, and family matters[3]. Her commissioner assignments also included misdemeanor and felony criminal proceedings, felony arraignments, drug court, preliminary hearings, and civil settlements[3].
Educational background
Beronio earned a B.A. in administration and accounting from Loma Linda University in 1971[3]. After graduating, she moved to Sacramento and worked as a legal secretary at a law firm before attending law school[4]. At the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, she completed a J.D. in 1978[3]. She was admitted to the State Bar of California (November 1978).
Career history
After graduating from law school, Beronio began her legal career as a staff attorney with System for the Electronic Analysis and Retrieval of Criminal History Records (SEARCH Group, Inc.), where she worked from 1978 to 1980[3]. In 1980, she joined the Yolo County District Attorney's Office as a deputy district attorney, a role she held until 1989[3]. During that period, Beronio was a member of the Felony Trial Team, supervised the office's Davis and Broderick branch offices, and served as a representative to the Yolo County Rape Crisis Center[3].
In July 1989, Beronio was appointed as Yolo County's first court commissioner[3]. For nearly twenty-five years, she remained in that role.
Her professional service included membership on the Pre-Trial Release Pilot Committee (2010 to 2014) and the Calendar Committee, as well as service on the board of directors of the California Traffic Safety Institute beginning in 1993[3].
Personal life
Beronio was born in Chicago. During childhood, she lived in Texas before her family settled in Southern California, moving frequently because her father served in the U.S. Air Force[4]. Later, at the time of her 2014 election, she lived in Winters, California, with her husband, Robert, a retired Davis police officer[4].
References
[1] CapRadio — What to Know About the Yolo County Judge Race
[2] Ballotpedia — Janene Beronio
[3] Yolo County Superior Court — Judge Beronio
[4] The Davis Vanguard — Beronio Announces Candidacy to Replace Judge Mock
