Newsom appoints David Chiappetta to Fresno Superior Court, filling final vacancy

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed David P. Chiappetta to the Fresno County Superior Court, filling the vacancy created by Judge Arlan L. Harrell’s elevation to the Court of Appeal and bringing the court to its full complement of 47 judges. The appointment, announced in the governor’s Feb. 2, 2026 press materials, closes a staffing gap that officials say matters for the pace of local civil and criminal dockets.

Chiappetta, a 59-year-old Democrat and Fresno resident, brings more than three decades of private practice experience. He has been a partner at Perkins Coie during two stints - from 2007 to 2009 and again since 2013 - specializing in complex commercial disputes and antitrust law. Between those Perkins Coie terms he worked as special counsel at Corrs Chambers Westgarth from 2009 to 2013. Earlier in his career he served at McCutchen Doyle Brown Enersen as associate (1999-2001), counsel (2001-2003) and partner (2003-2007), and as an associate at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek from 1994 to 1999.

Chiappetta has lived in Fresno for seven years while telecommuting to a San Francisco office. His background includes four years working in Australia, where he represented the Australian government in antitrust matters, and service in the U.S. Navy. He was born in the Bronx, attended high school in Boulder, Colorado, studied at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. When asked about his hometown, Chiappetta "hesitated, calling it a 'tricky question.'"

Fresno County Superior Court Presiding Judge Jeffrey Hamilton welcomed the appointment, saying, "We are delighted to have someone of Mr. Chiappetta’s caliber joining our bench." The addition marks a milestone for local court administration: Gov. Newsom has now appointed 18 of the court’s 47 judges, and the bench is no longer operating with the vacancy created by Harrell’s promotion.

Chiappetta will stand for election in 2028. The governor announced Chiappetta as part of a broader package of 10 Superior Court appointments across eight counties, a typical move to fill vacancies that arise through retirement or promotion. Local officials have noted that several incumbents are expected not to seek re-election this cycle and that filing deadlines for incumbents were set for Wednesday, Feb. 4.

For Fresno residents, a fully staffed bench could translate into steadier case assignments and potentially shorter waits for hearings and rulings, particularly in complex commercial or civil matters where specialized experience can matter. Court administrators will still determine courtroom assignments, chambers locations and the transition timeline for Chiappetta’s swearing in. Watch the Fresno County Superior Court administrative notices for those next steps and for details on how the new judge’s arrival will affect scheduled calendars.