Remembering Justice Armand Arabian

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of former California Supreme Court Justice Armand Arabian (’56) who passed away March 28, 2018 at his private residence in the San Fernando Valley. Justice Arabian proudly served the people of the State of California for many decades as both a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and as a judge.

Justice Arabian, an Armenian born American, was born in New York City to immigrant parents who came through Ellis Island. He was the eldest of five children. He attended Boston University as a young man and after earning his degree, he enlisted in the United States Army. As an Airborne paratrooper, he learned the value of teamwork, hard work and the honor of public service to state and country.

He attended Boston University Law School and upon passing the California Bar, moved to California and became a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, one of only 50 at the time. He practiced law as a criminal defense attorney and was appointed to the bench by then Governor Ronald Reagan. Within a short period of time, Governor Reagan appointed him to the Superior Court where he served as a trial judge in Van Nuys, CA and San Fernando, CA. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal and later to the California Supreme Court, where he authored 99 majority opinions during his time on the high-court.

His legal accomplishments are many, but he was most noted for protecting women’s rights in rape offenses. He refused to provide the jury with an instruction that was derived from “Old England” which essentially discredited the rape victim. The case is known as the People of the State of California vs. Rincon-Pineda, 14 Cal.3d 864. The case made its way through the court system and ultimately became law in the State of California. In later years, the United States Supreme Court upheld the case and California later codified a privilege between a rape victim and a counsellor based upon Justice Arabian’s passion for equality and fairness is such significant cases.

Justice Arabian is survived by his daughter Allison Arabian, an Orange County, CA attorney and his son Robert Armand Arabian, a police commander at a Southern California police agency and attorney. He has four grandchildren, two sisters and a brother. Services for Justice Arabian will be private.