George P. Schiavelli, a retired judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has died, it was announced Tuesday.
Schiavelli died Aug. 28 at the age of 71, Chief U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips said. A cause of death was not immediately available.
In 1994, he was appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson to serve as a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court. He served in that capacity until 2000, after which he returned to private practice.
On Jan. 20, 2004, President George W. Bush nominated Schiavelli to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. He was confirmed by the Senate on June 24, 2004, and received his commission on July 8, 2004.
Schiavelli resigned from the bench on Oct. 5, 2008, and returned to private practice.
Upon learning of Schiavelli’s death, Phillips described him as a “warm and gracious colleague, known for his sharp intellect, breadth of experience, and quick wit.”
In honor of the judge, the flags outside the courthouses of the Central District will be flown at half-mast.
Schiavelli received his bachelor of arts degree in 1970 from Stanford University and his law degree in 1974 from UCLA School of Law. Following law school, he worked in private practice at O’Melveny & Meyers, Ervin Cohen & Jessup, and then at Horvitz & Levy.
The judge is survived by his wife Holli and children Peter and Olivia.