← Back

Arlan L. Harrell↗

Associate Justice
First retention voteTrellis trial record

Former bankruptcy litigator and Fresno deputy DA; Fresno commissioner and judge to 2025, presiding judge 2020 to 2022. Appointed 2025; no widely reported appellate rulings yet.

Trellis profile ↗
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Arlan L. Harrell on the court (first retention vote). Appears on ballots in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.

Qualifications

Appointment. Appointed by Gov. Newsom, 2025.
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Bankruptcy litigator at Lang, Richert & Patch; Fresno County deputy DA 1994 to 2003; Fresno Superior Court commissioner, then judge 2006 to 2025 (general jury trials; presiding judge 2020 to 2022).

Conduct

No public discipline or controversies found.

What others recommend

In this district, we found published positions mainly from conservative and Republican groups. Most Democratic, progressive and newspaper groups here had not published positions on these justices as of October 16.
Robyn Nordell's conservative guide repeats Craig Huey's picks, so it is not listed separately.
Trellis does not make recommendations. These are positions published by outside groups as of October 16, 2026. Labels describe each group's general leaning.

Notable rulings

No widely reported rulings found.

From the trial court record

Granted motions somewhat less often than the county average, and cases moved faster than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned. This is a small record, so read it with caution.

Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county

Bars compare this judge with county and state averages. Differences usually reflect the kinds of cases a judge was assigned.

Motions granted
This judge: 50.6%
County avg: 54.7%
State avg: 54.8%
Average case length
This judge: 106 days
County avg: 300 days
State avg: 651 days
Time to trial
This judge: 110 days
County avg: 377 days
State avg: 531 days
Caseload mix
Civil and small claims
Small civil record (164 dockets); most of his trial career was in criminal jury trials.
Fresno County Superior Court · 164 docketsUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sources: Court bio

Others on the same ballot

  • Thomas DeSantosHanford private-practice lawyer for over 20 years; Kings County trial judge 2003 to 2018, presiding judge 2012 to 2014. No widely reported appellate rulings; no discipline found.
  • Sonny S. SandhuFormer Stanislaus County Public Defender; Stanislaus trial judge 2018 to 2026, presiding judge from 2025. Appointed 2026; no widely reported appellate rulings yet.
  • Mark W. SnaufferFresno civil litigator for 23 years; Fresno trial judge 2000 to 2018. Reversed an order keeping Kern River water flowing for fish; now under Supreme Court review.
  • Amy K. GuerraFormer chief defense attorney at Fresno's Alternate Defense Office; Fresno family law and domestic violence judge 2018 to 2026. Appointed 2026; no widely reported appellate rulings yet.
  • Kathleen A. MeehanFormer securities litigator and deputy attorney general; Fresno commissioner and judge 2011 to 2017. Reversed a ruling for a baker who refused a same-sex couple's wedding cake.