Gov. Jerry Brown announced his appointment of Jason Chin to a judgeship in the Alameda County Superior Court on Oct. 29.

Chin, a longtime Alameda County resident, filled the seat that was vacant after the retirement of former judge Vernon Nakahara. Since 2004, Chin worked as the deputy district attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.

Chin said he has received an outpouring of support after the news of his appointment and described the past week as a “whirlwind.”

“I look forward to changing from being an advocate to being a neutral party,” Chin said. “(The courtroom is) a place where everyone should be treated fairly, regardless of their background or race, and that’s something that has really drawn me to this position.”

Chin said he grew up observing his father, Ming Chin, who is an associate justice on the California Supreme Court. After earning a Juris Doctor from the Pepperdine University School of Law in 2002, the younger Chin worked at a law firm, cementing his aspiration to become an attorney.

During his time at the Alameda County District Attorney’s office, Jason Chin led the Unsolved Crimes/DNA Cold Case Unit. Under District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, Jason Chin and the unit worked to address a backlog of more than 1,900 untested rape kits in Alameda County.

As a judge, Jason Chin looks forward to the task of presiding over cases in the county where he grew up. He added that Alameda County is “special and unique” because of its diversity.

“One of the biggest things I’m looking forward to is having people know that when people enter my courtroom, they are going to be treated fairly,” Jason Chin said. “All too often, people can go through the system and have their basic humanity lost. I feel it’s so important to have a neutral and fair environment to hear everyone out and restore that humanity.”