Born in Alhambra, California, Stotler, who was of German descent, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California in 1964 and a Juris Doctor from the USC Gould School of Law in 1967.

She was a municipal court judge for the Harbor Judicial District in Newport Beach, California from 1976 to 1978.

She was a Justice pro tempore of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, in San Bernardino, California in 1977.

[1] On April 4, 1984, Stotler was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Judge Robert J. Kelleher.

[1] She served as Chief Judge from 2005 to 2009, and assumed senior status on January 5, 2009 until her death on June 9, 2014.