Judge John P. Bianco

Key Facts

Appointed to the Tulare County Superior Court in June 2016 by Governor Jerry Brown.
Education: Juris Doctor (Whittier Law School, 1994); Bachelor of Business Administration (Santa Clara University, 1986).
Legal career: Sole owner and attorney at the Bianco Law Firm (Visalia) from 1994 until his judicial appointment.
Court assignment: Presides in Department 11 (Visalia, North County) handling felony criminal cases (Visalia/Exeter/Dinuba).
Political affiliation: Registered Republican at time of appointment.
Judicial elections: Served initial term by appointment; ran for retention/re-election (appeared on the March 5, 2024 ballot as incumbent).

Education

Bianco completed his undergraduate studies in California, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Santa Clara University in 1986. He then attended Whittier Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1994. These credentials are confirmed by official announcements and legal directories.

Legal Career (Pre-Judicial)

Before joining the bench, Judge Bianco had a long career in private practice. From 1994 until his judicial appointment in 2016, he was the sole owner and practicing attorney of the Bianco Law Firm in Visalia. He handled a broad range of civil and criminal matters. Publicly available profiles list his areas of practice to have included criminal defense, personal injury, family law, estate planning, business and commercial law, bankruptcy, and alternative dispute resolution. Bianco has been a member of the California State Bar since 1994, and during that time he was active in the local legal community in Tulare County.

Judicial Appointment

Governor Jerry Brown announced Bianco’s appointment to the Tulare Superior Court on June 28, 2016, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Darryl B. Ferguson. At the time of appointment he was 51 and living in Visalia. The press release noted Bianco’s party affiliation (Republican) and his background as a longtime local attorney. After his appointment, Bianco was required to stand for judicial election or retention. Official election filings show he appeared on the March 5, 2024 primary ballot as an incumbent judge of the Tulare Superior Court.

Courtroom Assignments

Judge Bianco is currently assigned to Department 11 of the Tulare County Superior Court, located in Visalia. In that role he handles felony criminal cases originating in the North County jurisdiction (Visalia/Exeter/Dinuba), specifically trials on felony informations for defendants with last names beginning B, E, F, H, I, J, Q, S, T, W, or Y. Department 11’s calendar is devoted to major criminal case processing (arraignments, motions, and jury trials) in that division. Previously he also sat in other general jurisdiction cases, including family law, before the court’s divisions were reorganized.

Notable Cases and Rulings

Bianco has presided over a number of significant cases in Tulare County. For example, he handled pretrial matters in the high-profile Tulare Regional Medical Center/Healthcare Conglomerate Associates case (involving Dr. Benny Benzeevi and alleged misuse of hospital funds). In that case Judge Bianco approved search warrants and freezes of assets, and conducted hearings on the lawfulness of seized property. In August 2018 he held a closed (non-public) hearing on returning seized property, which later drew media scrutiny about courtroom transparency. Subsequent hearings in the case were opened to the public.

Details of other cases include family law disputes and complex civil matters, though no widely reported appellate precedents by Bianco have been identified beyond routine appeals. One appellate decision (Mello v. Moore, 2019) cited Bianco as the trial judge whose enforcement-of-judgment ruling was reversed by the Court of Appeal. Overall, Bianco has been involved in many criminal and civil litigations typical of a general jurisdiction judge in Tulare County.

Judicial Philosophy and Reputation

Little is publicized about Bianco’s personal judicial philosophy beyond occasional press profiles. He has been described as a judge who “likes to help parties separate emotional issues from legal ones,” emphasizing a fact-based approach to tough decisions. A 2017 profile in the Daily Journal highlighted his measured, pragmatic style in family law (for example, making a child custody decision grounded on objective criteria). Local attorneys’ views of his bench performance are mixed (some reports suggest he can be strict about procedure), but no official comment is on record. In general, Bianco is viewed as a diligent jurist with a focus on law and procedure; he was chosen by peers to serve as the supervising judge of civil matters and has participated in court leadership activities.

Ethics Record

There are no public records of any disciplinary actions, sanctions, or confirmed ethics complaints against Judge Bianco. Searches of judicial discipline databases and news archives reveal no formal censure by the California Commission on Judicial Performance or other authorities. In short, available information indicates a clean ethics record with no reported disciplinary incidents.

Community Involvement and Outreach

Judge Bianco has shown interest in community and youth programs in Tulare County. He has been involved with the local CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program for children, working with advocates in child abuse and neglect cases. He has also engaged with juvenile justice education – for example, inviting Tulare County probation officials to speak to a juvenile justice class at College of the Sequoias. These activities reflect a commitment to outreach and mentorship, though details are primarily noted in press releases and social media rather than formal publications.