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Mark W. Snauffer↗
Associate Justice
Full 12-year termTrellis trial record
Fresno 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.
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Mark W. Snauffer 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, 2018. Retained 2018.
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Fresno civil litigator 1977 to 2000 (medical and legal malpractice, product liability, business). Fresno Superior Court judge 2000 to 2018; twice supervising civil judge.
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
- EnvironmentBring Back the Kern v. City of Bakersfield (2025). Reversed an order keeping water flowing in the Kern River for fish and said a $1,000 bond was inadequate. Now under Supreme Court review. Read the opinion ›
From the trial court record
Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (54%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the state, 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
Torts 54.3%, Commercial 18.5%, Creditor 11.9%
Granted motions by filing side
65.1% filed by plaintiffs, 34.9% by defendants
| Motion type | Granted | Rulings | County avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrer | 52.1% | 817 | n/a |
| Summary judgment | 41.3% | 498 | n/a |
| Anti-SLAPP motion | 34.8% | 23 | n/a |
Shown against state averages only: Trellis currently benchmarks him against Kings County, but he served in Fresno.
Fresno County Superior CourtUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sample rulings from the trial bench
- Government & public agenciesRetired administrator v. Fresno Unified School District (2017-08-28)Motion granted A retiree sued after the district's pay-reporting error inflated his projected pension, which CalSTRS later reduced. The judge dismissed the case: state law requires repaying pension overpayments, and an agency's mistake cannot override it. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
- EmploymentApartment manager v. Campos Apartments (2018-02-21)Motion denied A building manager asked for an early win on overtime and wage claims. The judge found she was likely overtime-eligible, but denied the motion because her hours and the amounts owed were genuinely disputed. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
- EmploymentWorkers v. Olam West Coast (2017-07-18)Motion denied Workers asked for approval of a wage class-action settlement. The judge refused, finding the class vaguely defined, no estimate of what workers could recover, overly broad releases and an unexplained English-only notice. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
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.
- 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.