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Kathleen A. Meehan↗
Associate Justice
Full 12-year termTrellis trial record
Former 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.
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Kathleen A. Meehan on the court (full 12-year term). Appears on ballots in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.
Qualifications
Appointment. Appointed by Gov. Brown, 2017. Retained 2018 (65%).
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Securities and business litigator in LA and Fresno (Baker Manock & Jensen shareholder); deputy attorney general. Fresno Superior Court commissioner 2011, judge 2014 to 2017.
Conduct
No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend
- YesIndivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices) (progressive group)
- YesCraig Huey voter guide (conservative guide)
- NoReform California (conservative guide)
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
- Civil rights & discriminationCivil Rights Dept. v. Cathy's Creations (Tastries Bakery) (2025). Reversed a ruling for a Bakersfield baker who refused a same-sex couple's wedding cake; a plain white cake is not pure speech. Read the opinion ›
From the trial court record
Mostly heard family law cases. Granted motions somewhat less often than the state average, and cases moved faster than the state average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
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
Average case length
Time to trial
Caseload mix
Family 99.6%
Granted motions by filing side
59.7% filed by plaintiffs, 40.3% by defendants
| Motion type | Granted | Rulings | County avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary restraining order | 88.6% | 857 | n/a |
Shown against state averages only: Trellis currently benchmarks her against Kings County, but she served in Fresno.
Fresno County Superior CourtUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sources: Court bioTrellis News
Others on the same ballot
- Arlan L. HarrellFormer 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.
- 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.