Judge Houry A. Sanderson will become Fresno County Superior Court’s presiding judge on Jan. 1.

Sanderson, who was elevated to the new position by her peers, will succeed Judge David Kalemkarian as presiding judge. She has served as assistant presiding judge since last year and as supervising felony judge.

In addition, Sanderson selected Judge Jeffrey Y. Hamilton as the next assistant presiding judge.

In her new role, Sanderson will be responsible for leading the court, establishing policies, and allocating resources.

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Sanderson was appointed to the Fresno Superior Court in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Before becoming a judge, Sanderson worked for the law firm of Tom Campagne, the Fresno County Counsel’s Office, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, where she supervised 26 attorneys.

Hamilton also was appointed to the Fresno Superior Court in 2005 by Schwarzenegger.