Roger Arnebergh
Encyclopedia
Roger Arnebergh was an American
politician
. He served as Los Angeles City Attorney
from 1953 to 1973.
, Minnesota
, of Norwegian and Danish ancestry, the son of Targe Arnebergh and Amelia Graagaard. Although he dropped out of high school at the age of fifteen, he received a law degree through extension learning.
However in 1973, Burt Pines
forced Arnebergh into a runoff and won 58% of the vote. During his 20 years, Arnebergh led an office that increased from 76 to 185 lawyers and was widely praised for his fair handling of disputes among city departments, law enforcment and opening meetings to the public.
After 1973, Arnebergh practiced law privately in Van Nuys. He was briefly in the limelight in 1991, as part of Citizens for Integrity and Viability in the City Charter, which supported under siege former Police Chief Daryl Gates
, and was against changes in the selection, removal and tenure of future police chiefs.
The lean, 6' 1" Arnebergh regularly played in veterans' tennis tournaments. A Los Angeles Times reporter noted that with the sunglasses Arnebergh wore on court, he looked "like a movie star."
Arnebergh died of natural causes
on January 25, 2004 in Canoga Park, Los Angeles
, California
, at the age of 94. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in Hollywood Hills
, Los Angeles
, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He served as Los Angeles City Attorney
Los Angeles City Attorney
The Los Angeles City Attorney is an elected official whose job is to prosecute all of the misdemeanor criminal offenses within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The General Counsel Division of the office provides legal counsel for the city by either defending the city or acting...
from 1953 to 1973.
Early life
Arnebergh was born on August 17, 1909 in Saint PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, of Norwegian and Danish ancestry, the son of Targe Arnebergh and Amelia Graagaard. 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. Arnebergh always said that he sought additional terms only at the urging of other lawyers and community and business leaders, who would sign petitions in their thousands. He saw himself more as a lawyer than a politician.However in 1973, Burt Pines
Burt Pines
Burt Pines 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:...
forced Arnebergh into a runoff and won 58% of the vote. During his 20 years, Arnebergh led an office that increased from 76 to 185 lawyers and was widely praised for his fair handling of disputes among city departments, law enforcment and opening meetings to the public.
After 1973, Arnebergh practiced law privately in Van Nuys. He was briefly in the limelight in 1991, as part of Citizens for Integrity and Viability in the City Charter, which supported under siege former Police Chief Daryl Gates
Daryl Gates
Daryl Gates was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1978 to 1992.-Early life:...
, 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.The lean, 6' 1" Arnebergh regularly played in veterans' tennis tournaments. A Los Angeles Times reporter noted that with the sunglasses Arnebergh wore on court, he looked "like a movie star."
Arnebergh died of natural causes
Death by natural causes
A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...
on January 25, 2004 in Canoga Park, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, at the age of 94. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.