Honorees

Hon. Norbert Ehrenfreund

1921-2016

Norbert Ehrenfreund was born on October 13, 1921, in Peekskill, New York, the son of Jewish immigrants. He went to the University of Missouri and graduated with a BA in Journalism in 1943. He served in the army during World War II winning a bronze star at the Battle of the Bulge while fighting with Patton‘s army. He was involved in the liberation of Concentration Camps and after the war served as a reporter with Stars and Stripes from 1945 through 1949. While a reporter for Stars and Stripes, Norbert covered the Nuremberg trials. Many years later he wrote a book titled the Nuremberg Legacy, about the role of the rule of law. The first trial involved the accusation of crimes against humanity which was an important milestone in international law.

After the war, Norbert obtained a Masters degree in Political Science from Columbia University in 1950. Thereafter, based on the impact the Nuremberg trials had on him, Norbert attended Stanford University Law School and obtained an LLB degree in 1959. Norbert worked for the San Diego District Attorneys office from 1960 through 1968 as a deputy DA. In 1968, he helped found the Defenders Program of San Diego, Inc. and was its first Chief Trial Attorney. Defenders was the first office in San Diego to provide legal services to the indigent accused. Norbert worked with Defenders Inc. from 1968 through 1975, when he was appointed to the San Diego Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown.

Norbert served on the San Diego Superior Court From 1975 through 1995 in many capacities. He spent years were in a criminal trial department, the mental health unit, and in juvenile court. While serving In the domestic court, he helped with the creation of California’s Domestic Violence Prevention Act. After retiring from the Superior Court, Norbert served by assignment in the San Diego and Sacramento Superior Court.

Off the bench, Norbert was very active in the legal community. He was on the Board of the San Diego Psych-Law Society, was involved with Volunteers In Parole, and was a great supporter of Delancey Street, a program for ex-offenders with the substance abuse problems. Norbert was recognized with the Award of Judicial Excellence from the National Conference of State Trial Judges In 2001 and received the Trial Judge of the year award in 1983 from the San Diego Trial Lawyers Association. Throughout his life, Norbert was involved with the theater, and acted in a number of performances in San Diego County including leading roles in Inherit The Wind and Death of a Salesman to name a few. He also spoke in San Diego, across the United States, and in Europe on the subject of the Holocaust. During some of his presentations on the Holocaust, Norbert would have a Holocaust survivor with him, and he would do a direct examination of that individual to educate his audience. In addition to the Nuremberg Legacy, Norbert wrote two additional books, You Be The Judge and You’re The Jury. He died in San Diego County at the age of 95 on December 23, 2016.

Norbert Ehrenfreund cared deeply about the right to a fair trial and spent his career trying to improve our system of justice. He also believed in rehabilitation and worked toward the goal of insuring our criminal justice system would provide a way for those convicted of crime to successfully reintegrate into the community. Norbert had a tremendous impact on the criminal justice system and our society.

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