John Zanoni is Sheriff of Fresno County, sworn in as the 26th Sheriff in January 2023. Born and raised in Fresno, he holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Fresno State and joined the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy in 1996, becoming full-time in 1998 and rising through assignments in boating enforcement, court services, custody, patrol, and gang-enforcement investigations before promotions to sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and Assistant Sheriff over the Field Services Division. He won the June 2022 primary outright with about 57% of the vote over a Fresno deputy police chief, avoiding a runoff, with the endorsement of outgoing Sheriff Margaret Mims.
Zanoni has publicly advocated loosening restrictions under California’s sanctuary-state law, SB 54, so that jail staff could proactively notify federal immigration authorities about inmates who meet the law’s existing exceptions for serious or violent offenses, rather than only responding to federal requests as current law allows; immigrant-rights groups including the ACLU of Northern California have publicly opposed the proposal, saying it would erode community trust in law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office has also faced a government claim from the family of a 22-year-old man who died in county jail custody after reportedly showing signs of psychiatric crisis, though no reporting has tied that incident to a personal action or statement by Zanoni himself.
