‘Woman of Year’ Out on Bail

For eight years, Burbank City Councilwoman Stacey Jo Murphy has reigned as one of the town’s most popular politicians. She’s been a favorite of law enforcement and enjoyed a good relationship with the chamber of commerce.

A congressman once saluted her as his district’s “Woman of the Year.”

Now she’s out on bail.

As news spread Friday of Murphy’s arrest on cocaine and child-endangerment charges, people who have lived or worked alongside her struggled to reconcile the lawmaker they knew with the alleged law-breaker portrayed in police reports.

“This has absolutely blindsided everybody,” said accountant Charles Alleman Jr., who was treasurer of Murphy’s reelection campaign this year, in which she garnered 60% of the vote to win a second term.

“She connected with people in the community,” he said.

Burbank detectives are investigating other connections allegedly involving Murphy.

Murphy, 47, was arrested Wednesday after police searched her home and said they found cocaine, three loaded handguns and 900 rounds of ammunition.

A man police described as her companion, Scott Schaffer, 51, was arrested on drug and weapons charges after a search of his Glendale apartment and vehicle turned up a small amount of methamphetamine, two vials of cocaine, nine handguns and a large amount of ammunition, police said.

Detectives said an 18-month investigation of a street gang led them to Schaffer and Murphy. The gang is allegedly involved in widespread narcotics and firearms trafficking, and one member is awaiting trial in the 2003 shooting death of Burbank Police Officer Matthew Pavelka.

Murphy and Schaffer have not been implicated in the officer’s slaying, police said.

In the months after Pavelka’s death, Murphy played a leading role in efforts to honor his memory and press the search for his killer.

“Obviously, it’s very distressing to me,” the officer’s father, Michael Pavelka, said of Murphy’s arrest. “I can’t imagine that she would be involved in anything like that.”

Murphy has been released on $100,000 bail. Schaffer remained in custody.

A woman who answered the door of Murphy’s Lima Street home said the councilwoman had no comment Friday. “We’re doing as best as can be expected,” said the woman, who did not identify herself.

Murphy’s attorney also declined to comment.

A police affidavit filed in the case said a confidential informant saw Schaffer sell several guns to gang members behind a bar on Riverside Drive in North Hollywood.

Schaffer allegedly told investigators that he and Murphy had purchased cocaine at the bar, the affidavit said.

An employee and several patrons at the bar said Friday that they did not know Schaffer or Murphy.

The bartender, who would not give her name, said no one wanted to talk about the case because it was “scary.”

Attempts to reach the bar’s owner were unsuccessful.

Workers at two other bars that Schaffer and Murphy were reported by an acquaintance to have frequented said they knew little about the couple.

Schaffer is a former co-owner and general manager of Sun Valley-based City Cab, where Murphy works as the controller, said the current general manager, Jerry Consul.

He said Murphy appeared upset when she came into the office Thursday after her arrest and release on bail, and left after putting in half a day.

“She is a pleasant lady to work with,” Consul said. “She’s one of the sharpest and smartest.... We all stand behind her. We all believe that her name will be cleared in the end.”

Consul said he believed that Schaffer brought Murphy into the company but didn’t know how they met. He also said it was his impression that they ended their romantic relationship in December.

Others who knew them said Murphy and Schaffer made an odd couple and that Schaffer seemed a little rough around the edges for Murphy, a former PTA member with a squeaky-clean image.

“I’ve wondered why her intuition was allowing her to associate with someone like him,” said Don Elsmore, a resident who often attends council meetings.

Schaffer has been convicted at least three times of driving without a valid license, according to court records.

In October, he was convicted by a jury of misdemeanor driving under the influence, said his attorney at the time, Steve Szocs. A judge ordered Schaffer to pay a fine and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Szocs said.

On July 9, Murphy accompanied Schaffer to a fundraiser at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center for a police memorial in Washington, D.C.

Bob Hope Airport Commissioner Don Brown, who shared a table with Murphy and Schaffer, said they looked happy and didn’t give any indication that anything was wrong.

“She was in high spirits,” Brown said.

In 2001, U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) named Murphy “Woman of the Year” for his district. In a news release at the time, Schiff praised the councilwoman for her work on behalf of affordable utility rates, a new library and measures to limit noise from the airport.

“I feel sick for Stacey. It’s very saddening, and I hope she’s OK,” said Howard Rothenbach, chairman of Restore Our Airport Rights who, in the past, had been at loggerheads with Murphy over some airport issues.

Murphy’s constituents valued her as an attentive listener at public meetings as well as in person, Rothenbach said.

“If she didn’t agree with you, she would explain her” position.

Murphy, a Hollywood High School graduate who attended Cal State Northridge, was elected to the council in 1997 after participating in several civic groups.

Soon after taking office, she joined two council members in voting to kill a proposal requiring drug and alcohol testing for the council and other city officials.

The measure was inspired by the alleged drug problems of former Councilwoman Susan Spanos, whom Murphy replaced.

Murphy had called the drug-testing requirement “a waste of time and money.”

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Times staff writer Paul Pringle contributed to this report.