Orfa Jean Shontz

CA Blue Book 2000

Date	Party	Office	Votes	Result
11-06-1934	Democratic	SBOE4	547260	Win

Candidate Biography:

Born: November 1, 1876 in Avoca, Iowa
Died: May 6, 1954 in Los Angeles, CA

1911-1914: Probation Officer, Los Angeles County Juvenile Court
1914-1915: Secretary to the Los Angeles County Probate Court
1915-1918: Woman's Department Referee, Los Angeles County Juvenile Court*
1918: Primary Candidate for Los Angeles County Superior Court (Lost)
1920-1921: City Clerk, City of Los Angeles
1932-1934: City Attorney, City of Los Angeles
1935-1947: Justice, Los Angeles Municipal Court

• As Referee, Shontz was the first female in California to "sit on the bench and administer justice" [Source: Los Angeles from the mountains to the sea by John Steven McGroarty (1921)]
• A State Senate special committee began investigating "irregularities in the administration of liquor control laws" behind closed doors on July 8, 1935. On August 2nd, the BOE's liquor law enforcement division was fired. On December 13th, Governor Merriam appointed Shontz to a Los Angeles judicial vacancy.