Born in the San Diego County, California, area, Shea received his BA in English from San Diego State University in 1971.
degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 1974.
For the next three years, Shea worked for the California Attorney General's Office in Los Angeles as Deputy Attorney General.
[1] In 1977, Shea became the Deputy District Attorney for San Luis Obispo County .
[2] On November 18, 2013, Shea announced that he would not seek reelection to a fifth term.