Justice Richard Aronson will retire from 4th District

Justice Richard M. Aronson will retire June 15 from the 4th District Court of Appeal after 32 years on the bench as a commissioner, superior court judge and appellate justice.

"After over 30 years on the bench and well over 20 years in the court of appeals as both a research attorney and justice, I thought it was time," Aronson said Friday. "I was ambivalent. I really enjoy myself, it's a privilege to work here. But I'm 71 and that's a big number."

Aronson developed a reputation as an unbiased but tough jurist.

Justice Thomas M. Goethals, who serves with Aronson in Division 3 of the court, called his bench mate an "informal mentor" on the court. He said they met in the early 1980s on opposite sides of a murder trial: Goethals was a young prosecutor, Aronson a senior attorney in the public defender's office. Against the odds, they became longtime friends.

Goethals said Aronson holds the distinction as the first Orange County Superior Court commissioner given a full-time felony trial assignment. After Goethals joined the appellate court three years ago, he said Aronson taught him about building consensus as part of a three-justice panel.

"He gets along with everybody, but won't give in to anybody," Goethals said.

Aronson grew up in Los Angeles. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of San Diego, and a master of laws degree from the University of Virginia. His career began with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office before he moved over to join the Orange County public defender's office. He became a court commissioner at the end of 1989. But a pair of tragedies marked his early years on the bench. He lost his daughter to cystic fibrosis in 1990, his wife to cancer the next year.

"It doesn't leave you," he said.

Republican Gov. Pete Wilson made him a judge on the Orange County Superior Court in 1996. Democratic Gov. Gray Davis elevated him to the appellate court five years later.

After so many years on the bench, Aronson said he would leave any assessment of his most important cases to others. Long active with the Judicial Council, California Judges Association and other groups, Aronson said he's also been pulling back from these activities in recent years.

He said his primary goal is to spend more time with his wife and his son.

Aronson said he may consider private judging or sitting on assignment. He added that he hopes Gov. Gavin Newsom appoints someone to his seat soon.

"I'd like the court's work not to be interrupted," he said.

Aronson's departure will leave the state appellate courts with nine vacancies, according to the Judicial Council's monthly Judicial Vacancy reports, the highest number in three years. There was one appellate vacancy a year ago, and zero when Gov. Gavin Newsom took office in January 2019.