FRESNO - Fresno County Senior Deputy District Attorney Ryan Wells has been appointed to serve as a judge on the Fresno County Superior Court, the District Attorney’s Office has announced.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Ryan Wells has worked as a prosecutor in the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office for over eight (8) years. During his career in the office, he has successfully prosecuted a wide array of cases including domestic violence and gang crimes. Wells has most recently been assigned to the Homicide Unit. Prior to joining the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, Wells was a Deputy District Attorney in Contra Costa County.

In learning of the appointment, District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp stated, “I am extremely proud of Ryan and his ascension to the bench. 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.”

Wells, originally from Ohio, 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.

After graduating from Stanford, Wells went on to earn his law degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law (King Hall).

Governor Newsom officially announced the appointment of Senior Deputy District Attorney Wells today and it is anticipated that he will be enrobed and begin serving the citizens of Fresno County in his new role as a Superior Court Judge within the coming weeks.