Longtime Fresno Judge Dies. Gomes Was 'Witty, Fun & Brilliant.'
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
March 6, 2018

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A longtime active jurist in Fresno died this morning (March 6).
Justice Gene Gomes served on the California 5th District Court of Appeal, based in Fresno.
According to his state bio, Gomes served on the appellate court since 2002, appointed by Gov. Gray Davis. He was a Fresno County Superior Court judge before that, starting in 1980.

High Praise from Colleague

“It is very sad news. He was an institution here,” said Brad Hill, the presiding judge of the 5th District.
Hill said that Gomes was hospitalized with an illness last Thursday and suffered a heart attack over the weekend.
“He was an extraordinarily engaging person. He was witty, fun, and brilliant. That is sometimes a rare combination. He would brighten up a room. When you walked in and saw Gene there, you knew it would be a fun conference,” Hill praised.
“He had insights that no one else had that were remarkably on point,” he continued.

Fresno High and Fresno State Grad

A Fresno native, Gomes was born in 1946, and attended Fresno High and Fresno State. He earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 1972.
After law school, Gomes worked as a deputy district attorney in Fresno County, before moving into private practice in 1977. In 1980, Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Fresno County bench.
Hill says flags will be at half-staff at the court in his honor.
With his death, the Fresno appeals court now has two vacancies among its 10 members. The governor is in charge of appointments.
ABC 30’s Corin Hoggard first reported the story on Twitter.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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