From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Seal of the attorney general of Pennsylvania
Appointer Direct popular vote Term length Four years Formation 1683 Salary $162,000 per year Website Official website
The Pennsylvania attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . It became an elected office in 1980.[ 1] The current attorney general is Democrat Michelle Henry .
Image
Name
Took office
Left office
Comment
John Morris Jr.
July 16, 1777
November 1, 1777
pro tem [ 2]
Jonathan D. Sergeant
November 1, 1777
November 23, 1780
Resigned[ 3]
William Bradford
November 23, 1780
—
Re-commissioned
Image
Name
Took office
Left office
Comment
William Bradford
June 9, 1791
August 20, 1791
Resigned[ 4]
Jared Ingersoll
August 20, 1791
May 10, 1800
Joseph B. McKean
May 10, 1800
July 22, 1808
Mahlon Dickerson
July 22, 1808
January 9, 1809
Walter Franklin
January 9, 1809
October 2, 1810
Resigned[ 5]
Joseph Reed
October 2, 1810
January 26, 1811
Richard Rush
January 26, 1811
December 13, 1811
Jared Ingersoll
December 13, 1811
December 21, 1816
Amos Ellmaker
December 21, 1816
July 7, 1819
Thomas Sergeant
July 7, 1819
December 20, 1820
Thomas Elder
December 20, 1820
December 18, 1823
File:Frederick Smith, 1773–1830.jpg
Frederick Smith
December 18, 1823
February 5, 1828
Resigned[ 6]
Calvin Blythe
February 5, 1828
May 6, 1828
Amos Ellmaker
May 6, 1828
August 17, 1829
Philip S. Markley
August 17, 1829
February 10, 1830
Samuel Douglas
February 10, 1830
January 29, 1833
File:Ellis Lewis.jpg
Ellis Lewis
January 29, 1833
October 14, 1833
Resigned[ 7]
George M. Dallas
October 14, 1833
December 1, 1835
File:James Todd, 1786–1863.jpg
James Todd [ 8]
December 18, 1835
April 2, 1838
Resigned[ 9]
William B. Reed
April 2, 1838
January 15, 1839
Ovid F. Johnson
January 15, 1839
January 21, 1845
John K. Kane
January 21, 1845
June 17, 1846[ 10]
Resigned[ 11]
John M. Read
June 23, 1846
December 18, 1846
Resigned
Benjamin Champneys
December 18, 1846
July 31, 1848
James Cooper
July 31, 1848
December 30, 1848
Resigned
Cornelius Darragh
January 4, 1849
April 28, 1851
File:Thomas Emlen Franklin.jpg
Thomas E. Franklin
April 28, 1851
January 21, 1852
James Campbell
January 21, 1852
March 8, 1853
Resigned[ 12]
Francis Wade Hughes
March 14, 1853
January 17, 1855
File:Thomas Emlen Franklin.jpg
Thomas E. Franklin
January 17, 1855
January 19, 1858
File:John C. Knox of Pennsylvania, 1817-1880.jpg
John C. Knox
January 19, 1858
January 16, 1861
Samuel A. Purviance
January 16, 1861
June 3, 1861
William M. Meredith
June 3, 1861
January 16, 1867
Benjamin Harris Brewster
January 16, 1867
October 25, 1869
Resigned
F. Carroll Brewster
October 26, 1869
January 22, 1873
Samuel E. Dimmick
January 22, 1873
October 11, 1875
Died in office
File:George Lear, 1818-1884.jpg
George Lear
December 7, 1875
February 26, 1879
Henry W. Palmer
February 26, 1879
January 17, 1883
File:Lewis Cochran Cassidy, 1829-1889.jpg
Lewis C. Cassidy
January 17, 1883
January 18, 1887
File:William Sebring Kirkpatrick, 1844-1932.jpg
William S. Kirkpatrick
January 18, 1887
January 10, 1891
W. U. Hensel
January 10, 1891
January 15, 1895
Henry Clay McCormick
January 15, 1895
January 18, 1899
File:John P. Elkin, 1860-1915.jpg
John P. Elkin
January 18, 1899
January 21, 1903
File:Hampton Lawrence Carson, 1852-1929.jpg
Hampton L. Carson
January 21, 1903
January 16, 1907
File:Moses Hampton Todd.jpg
Moses Hampton Todd
January 16, 1907
January 17, 1911
John C. Bell
January 17, 1911
January 19, 1915
Francis Shunk Brown
January 19, 1915
January 21, 1919
William I. Schaffer
January 21, 1919
December 14, 1920
Resigned
Image
Name
Took office
Left office
Governor(s)
George E. Alter
December 14, 1920
January 16, 1923
William Sproul
George Washington Woodruff
January 16, 1923
January 18, 1927
Gifford Pinchot
Thomas J. Baldrige
January 18, 1927
January 28, 1929[ 13]
John Stuchell Fisher
Cyrus E. Woods
January 28, 1929
November 1, 1930[ 13]
File:William A. Schnader, 1886-1968.jpg
William A. Schnader
November 1, 1930[ 14]
January 15, 1935[ 15]
Gifford Pinchot
Charles J. Margiotti
January 15, 1935[ 16]
April 27, 1938[ 16]
George Howard Earle III
Guy K. Bard
April 27, 1938[ 16]
January 17, 1939[ 16]
Claude T. Reno
January 17, 1939[ 17]
December 31, 1942[ 18]
Arthur James
E. Russell Shockley
December 31, 1942[ 18]
January 19, 1943[ 18]
James H. Duff
January 19, 1943[ 19]
January 21, 1947[ 20]
Edward Martin
John C. Bell Jr.
T. McKeen Chidsey
January 21, 1947[ 20]
July 5, 1950[ 21]
James H. Duff
Charles J. Margiotti
July 5, 1950[ 22]
March 2, 1951[ 23]
John S. Fine
Robert E. Woodside
March 7, 1951[ 22]
October 1, 1953[ 24]
Frank Truscott
October 13, 1953[ 24] [ 22]
January 18, 1955
Herbert B. Cohen
January 18, 1955[ 22] [ 25]
December 17, 1956[ 25]
George M. Leader
Thomas D. McBride
December 17, 1956[ 22] [ 25]
January 20, 1959
Anne X. Alpern
January 20, 1959[ 22]
August 28, 1961[ 26]
David L. Lawrence
David Henry Stahl
August 29, 1961[ 22] [ 26]
January 15, 1963
Walter E. Alessandroni
January 15, 1963[ 22]
May 8, 1966[ 27]
William Scranton
Edward Friedman
May 11, 1966[ 22] [ 27]
January 17, 1967
William C. Sennett
January 17, 1967[ 22]
July 3, 1970[ 28]
Raymond P. Shafer
Fred Speaker
July 4, 1970[ 22]
January 19, 1971
J. Shane Creamer
January 25, 1971[ 22]
December 31, 1972[ 29] [ 30]
Milton Shapp
Israel Packel
January 2, 1973[ 22]
December 23, 1974[ 31]
Robert P. Kane
January 6, 1975[ 22]
June 7, 1978[ 32]
Gerald Gornish
June 7, 1978[ 22] [ 32]
December 31, 1978
J. Justin Blewitt Jr. (acting)
January 1, 1979[ 22] [ 33]
January 16, 1979[ 33]
Edward G. Biester Jr.
January 16, 1979[ 22] [ 33]
May 19, 1980[ 33]
Dick Thornburgh
Harvey Bartle III
May 20, 1980[ 22] [ 33]
January 20, 1981[ 33]
Occupants of the elected Pennsylvania Attorney General office (1981–present)[ change | change source ]
Image
Name
Took office
Left office
LeRoy S. Zimmerman
January 20, 1981[ 34]
January 17, 1989[ 35]
Ernie Preate
January 17, 1989[ 35]
June 23, 1995[ 36]
Walter W. Cohen (acting)
June 26, 1995[ 22]
October 3, 1995[ 37]
Tom Corbett
October 3, 1995[ 22] [ 37]
January 21, 1997
Mike Fisher
January 21, 1997[ 22]
December 15, 2003[ 38]
Jerry Pappert
December 18, 2003[ 22]
January 18, 2005
Tom Corbett
January 18, 2005[ 22]
January 18, 2011[ 39]
William Ryan (acting)
January 18, 2011[ 39]
May 27, 2011
Linda Kelly
May 27, 2011[ 40]
January 15, 2013
Kathleen Kane
January 15, 2013[ 41]
August 17, 2016
Bruce Castor (acting)
August 17, 2016[ 22]
August 31, 2016
Bruce Beemer
August 31, 2016[ 22]
January 17, 2017
Josh Shapiro
January 17, 2017
January 17, 2023
Michelle Henry
January 17, 2023Acting January 17, 2023 – March 8, 2023
present
Dave Sunday (elect)
Taking office: January 21, 2025
↑ Penn. Const. Art. 4, § 4.1
↑ Morris was Clerk of the General Assembly
↑ Pennsylvania Archives . 1858. p. 612.
↑ Bradford accepted state Supreme Court appointment
↑ Franklin accepted state judicial appointment
↑ Smith accepted a position as Justice on the state Supreme Court
↑ Lewis accepted a position as President Judge of the Eighth Judicial District
↑ See article for citations regarding the dates.
↑ Todd accepted a Philadelphia judicial appointment.
↑ This is the date of his judicial commission; there is no date listed in The Pennsylvania Manual .
↑ Kane accepted a federal judiciary appointment.
↑ Campbell accepted the position of U. S. Postmaster General.
↑ 13.0 13.1 Resigned
↑ "Schnader Takes Oath" . Chester Times . International News Service . November 1, 1930. p. 8. Retrieved November 15, 2012 . William A. Schnader, named attorney-general of Pennsylvania Wednesday to succeed Cyrus E. Wood when the latter resigned, took the oath of office at noon at the capital today.
↑ "Forms Law Firm" . Chester Times . January 14, 1935. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2012 . William A. Schnader, who relinquishes the office of attorney general in Governor Pinchot's cabinet tomorrow…
↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Official Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania for the Years 1937 and 1938 (PDF) . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1939. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012 . Charles J. Margiotti, Attorney General (January 15, 1935 to April 27, 1938); Guy K. Bard, Attorney General (April 27, 1938 to January 17, 1939)
↑ "14 New Cabinet Members Safe; Two Are Held Up" . Chester Times . United Press . January 18, 1939. p. 2. Retrieved November 14, 2012 .
↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "Harrisburg Man to Fill Reno's Place; E. Russel Shockley Is New Attorney General". New Castle News . International News Service . December 31, 1942. p. 7.
↑ Jones, John E. (January 14, 1943). "Martin Picks Duff, Neel For Cabinet" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . p. 1. Retrieved November 14, 2012 .
↑ 20.0 20.1 "Blast Chesnut, Wilhelm, Smock Appointments" . Chester Times . United Press . January 22, 1947. p. 2, no. 9. Retrieved November 14, 2012 .
↑ "Margiotti To Send Aide to Job Probe" . Pittsburgh Press . July 5, 1950. p. 6. Retrieved November 14, 2012 .
↑ 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 22.14 22.15 22.16 22.17 22.18 22.19 22.20 22.21 22.22 22.23 22.24 "Office of Attorney General" . Pennsylvania Department of State . Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012 .
↑ "Margiotti Bows Out Of Cabinet" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press . March 3, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved November 9, 2012 .
↑ 24.0 24.1 Official Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania for the Years 1953 and 1954 (PDF) . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1954. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . Robert E. Woodside (Resigned October 1, 1953); Frank F. Truscott (Commissioned October 13, 1953)
↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Official Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania for the Years 1955 and 1956 (PDF) . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1956. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . Herbert B. Cohen (Commissioned January 18, 1955, Resigned December 17, 1956); Thomas D. McBride (Commissioned December 17, 1956)
↑ 26.0 26.1 Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: 1961–1962 (PDF) . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1962. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . Anne X. Alpern (Resigned August 28, 1961); David Stahl (Commissioned August 29, 1961)
↑ 27.0 27.1 Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: 1963–1966 (PDF) . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1966. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . Walter E. Alessandroni (Died May 8, 1966); Edward Friedman (May 11, 1966 to January 17, 1967)
↑ Commonwealth v. Rozier , 67 Pa. D. & C. 2d 536 , 539 (Common Pleas Court of York County, Pennsylvania, 1974) (“…he went out of office on July 3, 1970”).
↑ "2 Crime Unit Members Ousted In Pennsylvania" . Toledo Blade . Associated Press . January 2, 1973. p. 7. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . On Sunday, Gov. Milton J. Shapp…forced the resignation of Attorney General J. Shane Creamer….
↑ Taylor, John (September 6, 1973). "Probe Centers on Free Booze Charge" . Pittsburgh Press . p. 2. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . …Creamer was ousted last Dec. 31
↑ "Shapp Names Kane As New Attorney General" . The News-Dispatch . United Press International . December 27, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . …Israel Packel, who submitted his resignation letter Monday.
↑ 32.0 32.1 "Gerald Gornish Takes Attorney General Post" . Observer–Reporter . Associated Press . June 8, 1978. p. A-6. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . Kane bowed out quietly Wednesday….
↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: 1979–1981 (PDF) . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012 . J. Justin Blewitt, Jr., acting Attorney General (January 1, 1979 to January 16, 1979); Edward G. Biester, Jr., Attorney General (January 16, 1979 to May 19, 1980); Harvey Bartle III, Attorney General (May 20, 1980 to January 20, 1981)
↑ Jensen, Edward (January 21, 1981). "Three state officials take oaths of office" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . p. 5. Retrieved November 13, 2012 .
↑ 35.0 35.1 "Casey welcomes Knoll, Hafer, Preate to office" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press . January 18, 1989. p. 1. Retrieved November 13, 2012 .[permanent dead link ]
↑ Moran, Robert (June 24, 1995). "Preate Is Gone But Not Quite Forgotten The Attorney General's Resignation Became Official Yesterday" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. A-1. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2012 .
↑ 37.0 37.1 Forester, John D. Jr. (October 4, 1995). "Corbett sworn in, pledges review of probe" . Reading Eagle . p. 1. Retrieved November 13, 2012 .
↑ Ove, Torsten (December 16, 2004). "Fisher sworn in as federal judge" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved November 13, 2012 . [permanent dead link ]
↑ 39.0 39.1 Bumsted, Brad; Wereschagin, Mike (January 18, 2011). "Corbett promises fiscal discipline, responsible government as he takes oath" . Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2012 .
↑ "Linda L. Kelly becomes Pennsylvania Attorney General" (Press release). Pennsylvania Attorney General. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012 . Attorney General Linda L. Kelly took the oath of office today during a private ceremony in Harrisburg, officially assuming the powers and duties of Pennsylvania's top law enforcement officer.
↑ Olson, Laura (January 15, 2013). "Three Democratic row officers sworn in" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .