Senior Fresno County prosecutor selected by Newsom to be new Superior Court judge
Ryan Wells, one of Fresno County’s top prosecutors, was one of 18 people appointed to be a Superior Court judge by Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday.
The governor made appointments for judgeship’s in 10 counties, including Fresno.
The 40-year-old Wells has served as a senior deputy district attorney at the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office since 2012. Wells is part of a special team of prosecutors who handle homicide cases.
Since his days at UC Davis law school, Wells said he has aspired to be a judge.
“Today’s appointment is extremely special to my family and me because of all the hard work and sacrifices I made to get through law school, pass the bar, and prosecute complex criminal cases as a District Attorney for over 10 years,” he said. “It was a challenging, and rewarding adventure. The appointment gives me a feeling of accomplishment and excitement.”
Wells, a Democrat, will fill the vacancy of a new position created on September 24, 2019.
His boss, District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp applauded his selection as a judge.
“I am extremely proud of Ryan and his ascension to the bench,” Smittcamp said. “As a prosecutor, Ryan has proven himself to be a dedicated public servant with a keen sense of justice. Although it will be a tremendous loss to our office, the citizens of Fresno County are very fortunate to have Ryan Wells as their newest Superior Court Judge.”
Once Wells is sworn in, he will become one of five Black judges out of nearly 50 currently serving on the Superior Court bench in Fresno County.
The Judicial Council of California, the policy making body of the California courts, has made increasing the diversity of California’s judicial officers one of its goals.
Demographic data compiled by the council shows that as of Dec. 31 the overwhelming number of judges, including Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Trial Court, in California are white at 64.8%. Black judges represent 8%, Asian at 8.1% and Hispanic at 11.2%.
Before joining the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, Wells served as a deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County from 2010 to 2012 and was a Legal Editor at Lexis Nexis from 2009 to 2010.
Wells was a Law Clerk at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in 2008 and he earned a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law.
An Ohio native, Wells earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University where he was also a receiver and special-teams player for the Stanford Cardinal football team. Wells finished his football career as the school’s all-time leading kick-off return specialist.
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 5:43 PM.
