Sonoma County judge to retire and become arbitrator, mediator

Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Robert S. Boyd will retire next month.

Boyd indicated he would become a private arbitrator and mediator, according to a court press release announcing his retirement, .

He was appointed to the bench by Gov. Pete Wilson in 1998. During his 21 years on the court, Boyd has served in both criminal and civil assignments.

He oversaw several environmental cases, sentenced two men for intentionally running over and killing a racehorse, and struck down a local ordinance allowing cannabis dispensaries, though this was reversed on appeal. He was the court's presiding judge from 2005 to 2008.

But he is probably best known for his current assignment in family law. In a 2015 profile in the Daily Journal, he described his role as trying to facilitate communication between estranged parents and other family members in order to protect children.

"It's very important that the children not be involved in what's going on in court," he said at the time. "It's extremely difficult for children to be pushed between their parents."

He could not be reached for comment Friday.

Boyd graduated from UC Berkeley and went into the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant. During the Vietnam War, he commanded an underwater mine disposal team in the Mekong Delta. He graduated from UC Hastings College of the Law in 1972, then worked as an attorney in San Francisco until moving to Sonoma County in 1977.

Around 1980, he co-founded Boyd, Murray & Wick. Arthur A. Wick is now a Sonoma County Superior Court judge. The practice included the Arbitration and Mediation Center in Santa Rosa, which Robert A. Murray continues to run. Murray called Boyd "good with people" and added that his time as a mediator served him well on the bench.

"He's a very patient individual," Murray said. "He's a good listener and very adept at resolving cases."

He would go on to use this background in court and in several roles with the Judicial Council. He chaired the council's Alternative Dispute Committee and served on other committees, including budget, civil law and the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee. He received the Alternative Dispute Resolution Judge of the Year award from the Sonoma County Bar Association in 1999.

Boyd is also known for his work outside the courtroom. He taught contracts at Empire College School of Law. He also was president of Blood Bank of the Redwoods, was a board member at a recycling company, and is a longtime Rotary member.