Andrew Janz photo

The Fresno City Council voted in a special closed session Tuesday to appoint Andrew Janz to serve as permanent city attorney.

Janz received his bachelor degree and master’s in public administration from California State University, Stanislaus and his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

Since 2014, Janz has served at the County of Fresno District Attorney’s Office as deputy district attorney handling some of the county’s most complex and high profile cases, according to a news release from District 7 representative Nelson Esparza.

Janz, a Democrat, came to prominence in 2018 with a campaign to unseat then-Rep. Devin Nunes. A year later he ran for Fresno mayor.

“Andrew Janz has spent the majority of his professional career working in our city and county. He is intimately aware of the issues that our City faces and is driven by a dedication to public service that stood out among all other candidates,” stated Esparza. “I am looking forward to working with the City’s new permanent City Attorney.”

“Janz has been a Fresno County prosecutor for nearly a decade, and has proved in that time that he has the necessary integrity and experience to serve Fresno as the next City Attorney,” stated Council Vice President Tyler Maxwell. “I know he will be the bold leader our city needs as we navigate the next generation of issues facing Fresno.” 

“For the last eight years, it has been a true honor to represent the People of the State of California as a prosecutor. Working under District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, we were successful in seeking justice for many victims of violent crime including the most vulnerable victims,” said Andrew Janz. “I’m humbled by the Fresno City Council’s trust in me to lead the Office of the City Attorney and look forward to this challenging opportunity to serve the People in a new capacity.” 

The City of Fresno is grateful to Interim City Attorney Rina Gonzalez for the work performed during the interim period, according to the news release. Throughout the interim period, Gonzalez has proven to be an invaluable asset to the City of Fresno and the Fresno City Council appreciates all that she has done to lead our City Attorney’s office.