Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of Raj Singh Badhesha to serve as Fresno County Superior Court’s newest judge on Friday.

He is currently serving as the Chief Assistant City Attorney in Fresno.

Badhesha becomes the first Sikh to be appointed to the Fresno County bench.

This appointment will be celebrated by many in the Central Valley Punjabi and Asian communities.

“Raj has been an instrumental part of my management team because of his broad-based knowledge of various aspects of the law and his ability to deal with sensitive situations with tact and poise,” said City Attorney Andrew Janz. “When I was appointed City Attorney, he quickly became my closest advisor and made my transition into this position seamless. Raj has all the qualities one hopes to find in a judge; he is open-minded, thoughtful, deliberate, well researched, and diplomatic. While his broad legal experience and expertise is going to be a big loss to the City of Fresno, there is not a more fitting individual to serve Fresno County and the State of California with honesty and integrity.”

Raj Singh Badhesha released the following statement after learning of the governor's appointment.

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