Frances Muñoz

Muñoz did agricultural labor in her youth,^[3] and managed a furniture store while she was in law school. She was a public defender early in career. She was appointed to the Orange County Harbor Judicial District by Governor Jerry Brown in 1978, and was considered "the first Latina judge in California."^[1][4] She co-founded the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County,^[5] the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund,^[6] and the Ralph Luévano Scholarship Foundation.^[7] She retired from the bench in 2001.^[1]

Muñoz was active as a volunteer in after-school tutoring and enrichment programs. "My philosophy is that you need to get involved with kids at the earliest possible time," she told a reporter in 1998. "Otherwise they lose hope and drop out".^[8] In 1991, she appeared on a panel discussion program about "Latinos: Visions for the Future", on KOCE public television.^[9] In 2012, she was honored by the Latina Lawyers Bar Association.^[10] In 2015 she was honored by the California legislature with a Latino Spirit Award, for "achievement in law and public service".^[11]

Muñoz died from cardiac arrest on October 17, 2022, at the age of 92.^[1][4] There is a public mural in Costa Mesa, California, titled "Las Poderosas", which includes Frances Muñoz among the eight Orange County women honored.^[12][13]