Raj Singh Badhesha Becomes First Sikh Appointed to Fresno County Superior Court Bench

Raj Singh Badhesha created history earlier this week by becoming the first Sikh appointed to the Fresno County Superior Court Bench in California. The former chief assistant city attorney was sworn-in on July 15, also becoming the first person to be appointed from City Hall to the Bench in Fresno in more than 40 years.

“I thank all of you for your roles in my growth as an individual, as an attorney, and my ascent to the bench,” Badhesha said at the swearing-in. “Wanting to be a judge and run a courtroom was something that I grew into,” he said. “Because when I began my journey. A practicing Sikh like myself could not gain admission into a courthouse.”

KSEE24 and CBS47 note that Badhesha’s new role is also significant nationally. “Today, it is my hope moving forward that the Sikh youngsters present here today know that they can use this as an example and they can aspire to serve this county, this state, and this nation in any position they wish to pursue,” he said. 

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Badhesha will also wear a traditional kirpan, which is a curved, single-edged blade that is an article of faith in the Sikh religion. “To see somebody from the Sikh community be elevated to the bench, the first one in Fresno county, it’s a historic moment, it’s momentous, but Raj got appointed not because he’s Sikh, but because of his qualities,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said.

A native of Fresno County, Badhesha attended Sanger High School before becoming a President’s Scholar with the Smittcamp Family Honors College at CSU Fresno, according to his profile onFresno State website. While at Fresno State, he was in the Craig Honors Program, served as a Maddy Institute Scholar-Intern in Washington DC, and held multiple offices in ASI, Inc.  He was also involved in Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity and the Sikh Student Association.  

During his under graduation, he also studied North Indian classical music and Gurmat Sangeet for a semester in Punjab. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Communication. He went on to attend law school at UC Hastings College of the Law. 

After graduate school, Badhesha returned home and began practicing law at Baker, Manock, and Jensen, PC and later transitioned to an in-house position with the City of Fresno. He resides with his family on their farm in Selma with his wife, Upkar Kaur, and their two children.