Local judge soon gaining a new title

The presiding judge of the Kings County Juvenile Court will find himself with a new set of responsibilities come this January when he is officially named presiding judge of the court for Kings County. Judge George Orndoff, a 21-year resident of the Central Valley, was elected on Friday by the judges of the Kings County Superior Court to help lead the way in making judicial decisions and acting as a court leader.

But this promotion did not come without a great deal of work. Orndoff began his career in law at Community Defenders Incorporated in San Diego, where he worked as a defense attorney before moving to Kings County in 1987 for a position as deputy district attorney.

He spent seven years with the District Attorney's office before being elected to serve as judge of the Avenal Municipal Court in the early '90s, where he quickly began to work his way through the judicial system. After his first year in Avenal, he was elected to serve as presiding judge of the Kings County Municipal Court and would also become presiding judge for the Kings County Juvenile Court as well.

In addition to his time spent in the courtroom, Orndoff also became a member of the Kings County Law Library's Board of Trustees -- where he was recently appointed president, graduated from B.E. Witkin Judicial College of California and became a faculty member two years later and was even named Citizen of the Year in 1995 by the Kings County Peace Officers Association.

His term will commence in January 2009 for a period of two years.

(Aug. 5, 2008)