Sonia Montejano grew up in Los Angeles where she continues to reside. She is a Mexican born American.

Sonia attended California State University Los Angeles prior to graduating from Rio Hondo Police Academy. She wanted to make a positive effect in the movement towards gender equality, coupled with her strong sense of justice commencing her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles County Marshal’s Department seemed to be a natural career choice. There, she was assigned to field duties relating to the enforcement of civil judgments. Within five years the Department merged into the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Deputy Montejano promoted to Senior Deputy and remained assigned to Court Services Division where she supervised personnel and courthouse operations at various courthouses throughout Los Angeles County. Some of her duties included the  preparation of detailed security plans for high profile court cases. It was during her assignment to the Beverly Hills Courthouse that she became involved with the celebrity criminal court trials of actress Winona Ryder and Courtney Love.

After nearly twenty years on the police force, the real deputy sheriff made a career change and became known as a Hollywood Bailiff when producers of the Judge Joe Brown Court Show noticed the lady deputy and offered her the position of bailiff on the CBS syndicated show. She became known as Madam Sonia and remained on the JJB show for the next seven years, when the show ended in 2013. Today, she continues to keep the peace and personify courtroom decorum as the bailiff on the Judge Judy produced court show, Hot Bench, where she is better known as Officer Montejano since the show debuted in 2014.

In her spare time, Sonia is lives with enthusiasm, and pursues various activities where she remains fit and engaged with her friends, family and community. Sonia is fluent in Spanish and enjoys studying foreign languages such as Italian and French.

To promote her standard of fitness, she enjoys outdoor activities such as long walks, jogging, hiking local mountain trails, as well as biking and skating along the beach bike paths.

Sonia is been a voice towards historic preservation, a subject matter she holds to be significant. Sonia believes preserving our past is investing in generations to come. She has enjoyed restoring all of her personal homes in various Southland communities. Sonia has volunteered countless hours with The Glendale Historical Society where she served as the Director and Curator of the Doctors House, a Victorian House Museum on the State and National Registry of Historic Resources, for nine years. In these endeavors, Sonia received several commendations in  recognition of her service to the affairs of the community for the benefit of all citizens.

Over the years, Sonia has enjoyed having spoken with children of all ages at various schools on the importance of education. She has also, taught courses on Manners, to inspire confidence. Above all, Sonia is moved by mentoring troubled youths in hopes of improving their future.

Moreover, Sonia Montejano is an avid chess player, cook, photographer, traveler, and is always in the midst of new and exciting projects that spark her interests.