Raj Singh Badhesha has been appointed to the bench in Fresno County Superior Court by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo contributed

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that Raj Singh Badhesha has been appointed to serve as Fresno County Superior Court’s newest judge. 

Badhesha currently serves as chief assistant in the Fresno City Attorney’s Office and will be filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jon N. Kapetan.

“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.” 

This decision makes Badhesha the first Sikh to be appointed to the Fresno County bench and is celebrated by many in the Punjabi and Asian communities within the Central Valley. He is also the first Sikh appointee in the State who observes the practice of adorning a dastar or pagri, a type of Sikh headdress.

In a statement released by Badhesha, he writes: “I would like to thank Governor Gavin Newsom for having confidence in my ability to serve as a Fresno County Superior Court judge. After years of dedicated service to the Fresno community, including invaluable experience in the Fresno City Attorney’s Office and extensive volunteer work, I am honored to be appointed as a Fresno Superior Court Judge. My commitment to justice, coupled with my understanding of the legal system and the needs of our community, have prepared me to serve with integrity, fairness, and compassion. I am glad to be able to represent a segment of our community that we don’t often see on the bench, and I appreciate the Governor’s commitment to diversity.” 

Badhesha received his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, College of Law, San Francisco. He was previously an Associate at Baker, Manock & Jensen from 2008 to 2012, before he began working at the City Attorney’s Office in 2012.

He attended Sanger High School and is a graduate of the Smittcamp Family Honors College at Fresno State.