Roger Arnebergh

Background

Victor Arneberg was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was the son of Targe Arnebergh and Amelia Graagaard, who were of Norwegian and Danish ancestry.

Career

He served as Los Angeles City Attorney from 1953 to 1973. Although he dropped out of high school at the age of fifteen, he received a law degree through extension learning. 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 both ran for the office against Arneburgh. 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. 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, and was against changes in the selection, removal and tenure of future police chiefs.

Achievements

• Arnebergh won the election for Los Angeles City Attorney in 1953 because he was supported by Ray L. Chesebro, who was retiring. He was then forced into a runoff against Burt Pines, who won by 58%.