On Restorative Justice

Judge Rosenfield has been a strong proponent of restorative justice, an approach in which offenders work with the victims and the community for repair of the harm they have done. He used these techniques, especially for kids, before there was an actual movement and became a

leader in the field as well as an instructor at Sonoma State University, Empire Law School, and California Judicial College.

Born in Connecticut, Arnie Rosenfield attended Vanderbilt University, where he earned his J.D. in 1971.

Judge Rosenfield began his career as a Deputy District Attorney in San Luis Obispo County, CA, where he demonstrated early on his passion to serve those not always well-represented in the justice system. He handled one of the first large successful consumer protections trials

in California, and in 1977, after taking the same position in Sonoma County, he established a Consumer Protection Unit. He later opened a private practice and served as the first Commissioner of Sonoma County Superior Court before being elected Superior Court Judge in 1984, a

position he held until his retirement on December 31, 2009.

The majority of Judge Rosenfield's cases involved the juvenile court, and he was always a strong advocate for children at risk for emotional trauma. In 1996 he initiated the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Sonoma County, which advocates for the needs of abused

children caught up in the justice system. He instigated the development of the Redwood Children's Center for easing the process of interviewing and examining these children and has been a supporter of Social Advocates for Youth, the Valley of the Moon Foundation, Jewish  Children and Family Services, and the Parent Education Project of Sonoma County.

He also served on the Advisory Committee on Juvenile & Family Law for the California Judicial Council.

For his work, Judge Rosenfield has received numerous awards including Juvenile Court Judge of the Year by the California Judges Association and the 2009 Rex Sater Award from the Sonoma County Bar Association for Excellence in Family Law.  He was honored before the US House of Representatives in 2010 after his retirement.

Arnie currently serves on the Sonoma County Grand Jury.