Friday, December 28, 2012
Page 3
Retired Commissioner Kautz Dies at 72
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Retired Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner A. Michael Kautz has died.
A fellow jurist, who asked not to be identified, said Kautz passed away on Dec. 21 at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. The 72-year-old Kautz had suffered a stroke while recovering from surgery for an aortic aneurysm.
Kautz retired at the end of last year under a voluntary separation program that the court established on a onetime basis, entitling him to six months’ severance pay. He told the MetNews at the time that he had been considering retirement, but had not made a final decision before the incentive became available.
He also said he was looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren, located in San Diego and in Louisiana.
Kautz, who sat in Compton, originally hailed from Kenosha, Wis. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1959 until 1965, achieving the rank of staff sergeant.
He earned a degree in engineering from the University of North Dakota before attending law school at the University of West Los Angeles and joining the State Bar in 1974.
Kautz then ran a solo practice in Torrance, concentrating on personal injury and criminal defense, until he was elected a Compton Municipal Court commissioner in 1987. He became a Superior Court commissioner through unification in 2000.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Stephanie Kautz, three adult children, and his grandchildren. No information regarding services was available.
Copyright 2012, Metropolitan News Company