Fresno County judge who oversaw shocking cases tapped for state appeals court

Veteran Fresno County Superior Court Judge Arlan Harrell has been appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve as an Associate Justice in the Fifth Appellate District Court.

Harrell, who currently serves as a trial judge in Fresno County, will be one of 10 Justices at the Fifth Appellate District, all of whom are appointed by the governor and must be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments before taking the oath of office.

His annual salary will be $280,052.

Harrell fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Charles S. Poochigian of Fresno, who served as an associate justice from 2009 to 2025.

Harrell has been as a Superior Court judge for Fresno County since 2006. Prior to that he was a Court Commissioner from 2003-2006 in Fresno County.

During his tenure as a Fresno County judge, Harrell has presided over some of the city’s most shocking cases, including the robbery and murder of a 17-year-old in Fig Garden and a double-murder in a Clovis night club.

Harrell also served as a Deputy District Attorney for the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office from 1994-2003. He was an Associate at Lang, Richert & Patch from 1992 to 1994. Harrell received a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Davis School of Law.

Harrell’s brother, Alvin Harrell III, is also a Fresno County Superior Court judge.

The Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District’s jurisdiction encompasses nine counties located in central California: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.

The court is located at 2424 Cesar Chavez Blvd in downtown Fresno.

This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM.

Robert Rodriguez

The Fresno Bee

(559) 441-6327

A Valley native, Robert has worked at The Fresno Bee since 1994, covering various topics including education, business, courts and agriculture.