Roger Arnebergh (August 17, 1909 – January 25, 2004) was an American

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

and elected official. He served as

Los Angeles City Attorney The Los Angeles City Attorney is an elected official who serves as the city of Los Angeles' government's lawyer and as a criminal prosecutor for misdemeanor violations. The Los Angeles County District Attorney prosecutes felonies. The city attorn ...

from 1953 to 1973.

Early life

Roger Arneberg was born in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

. He was the son of Targe Arnebergh and Amelia Graagaard, who were of Norwegian and Danish ancestry. Although he dropped out of high school at the age of fifteen, he received a law degree through extension learning.

Career

Arnebergh won the election for Los Angeles City Attorney in 1953 because he was supported by Ray L. Chesebro, who was retiring. He would be re-elected five times with little opposition. Throughout his 20 years as city attorney, Arneburgh usually ran unopposed. However in 1973, Burt Pines and

Ira Reiner Ira Kenneth Reiner (born February 15, 1936) is an American attorney and politician who served as the Los Angeles City Attorney from 1981 to 1984 and Los Angeles County District Attorney from 1984 to 1992. The McMartin preschool trial occurred dur ...

both ran for the office against Arneburgh. He was then forced into a runoff against

Burt Pines Burt Pines (born May 16, 1939) is a California attorney and politician. He served as Los Angeles City Attorney from 1973 to 1981 and has served as a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2003. Early life and education Pines was bo ...

, who won by 58%. During those 20 years in office, Arnebergh led a department that increased from 76 to 185 lawyers and was widely praised for his fair handling of disputes among city departments and his enforcement of misdemeanors. After 1973, Arnebergh practiced law privately in

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

. He was briefly in the limelight in 1991, as part of Citizens for Integrity and Viability in the City Charter, which supported former Police Chief

Daryl Gates Daryl Gates (born Darrel Francis Gates; August 30, 1926 – April 16, 2010) was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from 1978 to 1992. His length of tenure in this position was second only to that of William H. Parker. As Chief ...

, and was against changes in the selection, removal and tenure of future police chiefs.

Personal life

Arnebergh married Emilie Katherine Rogers (1908–2009), on May 1, 1937. They had one child. Arnebergh died on January 25, 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnebergh, Roger 1909 births 2004 deaths American people of Danish descent American people of Norwegian descent Los Angeles City Attorneys People from Greater Los Angeles Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers