Judge Jason W. Webster

• Appointment: Appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 8, 2020 (to a newly created seat); assumed office in 2020. Currently serving first full term (reelected 2022, term expires January 8, 2029).
• Education: Juris Doctor (J.D.), Baylor University School of Law (2003).
• Prior Career: Associate at Andrus & Associates (2004–2005); Deputy District Attorney in Tulare County (2005–2007) and Kern County (2008–2017); solo legal practice (2007–2008); Kern County Superior Court Commissioner (2017–2020).
• Judicial Service: Judge of the Kern County Superior Court since 2020; assigned to Department A at the Mojave Courthouse (Eastern Kern region).
• Party: Registered Republican (judicial office is nonpartisan).

Education and Early Career

Jason W. Webster earned his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in 2003. After law school he spent a year in private practice as an associate at the Bakersfield firm Andrus & Associates. In 2005 he moved to the district attorney’s office in Tulare County, where he worked as a Deputy District Attorney for two years. He returned to Kern County in 2008 and served a decade (2008–2017) as a Deputy District Attorney in the Kern County D.A.’s Office, prosecuting criminal cases. Early in that decade he briefly maintained a solo criminal-defense practice (2007–2008) before rejoining the Kern D.A.’s office. During these years he built a reputation as a career prosecutor and gained courtroom experience in both misdemeanor and felony trials.

Judicial Appointment

In late 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Jason Webster to the Kern County Superior Court, filling a newly created judgeship (the position had been authorized in 2019). The official announcement (December 8, 2020) noted his prior service as a court commissioner and as a deputy district attorney, and that he was then 47 years old and a resident of Tehachapi. Webster formally joined the bench in 2020. He stood for election in 2022 (a nonpartisan judicial election) and won a full 6-year term, with his current term scheduled to end in January 2029.

Current Role and Assignment

Judge Webster is assigned to Department A of the Mojave branch of the Kern County Superior Court. The Mojave Courthouse serves the eastern portion of Kern County (a more rural area outside Bakersfield). In Department A he presides over the calendar of criminal and civil cases that arise in that region. Webster’s courtroom handles a mix of felony and misdemeanor matters. As a Superior Court judge he also oversees preliminary hearings, sentencing, and other judicial duties typical for the court level.

Notable Cases and Decisions

As of this writing, Judge Webster has not been publicly linked to any landmark or high-profile cases reported in the press. No published appellate opinions authored by him have appeared in legal databases, suggesting that his trial-court rulings have not been the subject of notable published appeals. In general he handles the routine criminal and civil cases assigned to his department without any widely publicized controversy.

Judicial Philosophy and Reputation

Little is publicly documented about Judge Webster’s personal judicial philosophy. The gubernatorial press release notes that he is registered as a Republican, though judicial elections in California are officially nonpartisan. Beyond stating his career experience, official sources have not characterized his courtroom style. Within the Kern legal community he is viewed as a diligent and experienced prosecutor-turned-judge, but specific commentary on his philosophy or temperament is not available in the public record.