Pennsylvania Attorney General

The Pennsylvania attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980.Penn. Const. Art. 4, § 4.1 The current attorney general is Republican Dave Sunday.

On August 15, 2016, then-attorney general Kathleen Kane was convicted of criminal charges, including conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice, and announced her resignation the following day, effective August 17. Consequently, as the solicitor general, Bruce Castor assumed the office as acting attorney general.Bumsted, Brad, (19 July 2016), "Castor Next In Line to Be Pennsylvania Attorney General", Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Accessed September 20, 2016. Governor Tom Wolf nominated Bruce Beemer to serve out the remaining balance of Kane's term, which expired in January 2017. Democrat Josh Shapiro succeeded Beemer. Shapiro was elected governor in 2022, and appointed Michelle Henry as his successor in 2023. The Pennsylvania Senate confirmed Henry in her own right later that year.

Authority and responsibilities The Commonwealth Attorneys Act of 198071 P. S. §732-101 established the Office of Attorney General as an independent office headed by an elected attorney general.OGC: Commonwealth Attorneys Act The office has the responsibility for the prosecution of those crimes prosecuted by the commonwealth, including organized crime and public corruption, as well as civil litigation on behalf of some, but not all, commonwealth agencies and the civil enforcement of some commonwealth laws, including laws pertaining to consumer protection and charities. The attorney general may act on behalf of consumers to issue cease and desist orders. The attorney general represents the commonwealth in all actions brought by or against the commonwealth and reviews all proposed rules and regulations by commonwealth agencies.

The attorney general also serves on the Board of Pardons, the joint Committee on Documents, the Hazardous Substances Transportation Board, the Board of Finance and Revenue, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Civil Disorder Commission, and the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission.

History

In 1978, Pennsylvania voters approved an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that gave the electorate the power to elect the attorney general, rather than the position being appointed by the governor.

List of attorneys general There have been four styles of selection for the Pennsylvania attorney general. The first phase was colonial, with the first attorney general commissioned in 1683. At the outbreak of the Revolution, the sitting attorney general, a loyalist, fled, and new attorneys general were appointed, under the Constitution of 1776, by the state president (or vice-president) with the Supreme Executive Council. Under the new constitution of 1790, attorneys general were appointed by the governor, subject to approval by the legislature (similar to how the United States Attorney General is appointed by the president of the United States). This remained in the Constitutions of 1838, 1874, and 1968. In 1978, voters approved an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution making the office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General an elected position, effective as of the general election of 1980.

Note that before William Penn, there were attorneys general for New Sweden as early as 1643.

Colonial attorneys general

Under the influence of David Lloyd, who served 1686–1710, Pennsylvania developed its first judicial system. Andrew Hamilton, who served 1717–1726, strongly influenced Pennsylvania law away from some aspects of the British system. John White Samuel Hersent John White David Lloyd John Moore Robert Assheton Paromlus Parmyter George Lowther Thomas Clarke Robert Quarry Henry Wilson Andrew Hamilton Joseph Growden Jr. John Kinsey Tench Francis Sr. Benjamin Chew Andrew Allen

President/Council appointed attorneys general ImageNameTook officeLeft officeCommentJohn Morris Jr.July 16, 1777November 1, 1777pro temMorris was Clerk of the General AssemblyJonathan D. SergeantNovember 1, 1777November 23, 1780ResignedWilliam BradfordNovember 23, 1780—Re-commissioned

Attorneys general appointed between 1791 and 1920 ImageNameTook officeLeft officeCommentWilliam BradfordJune 9, 1791August 20, 1791ResignedBradford accepted state Supreme Court appointmentJared IngersollAugust 20, 1791May 10, 1800Joseph B. McKeanMay 10, 1800July 22, 1808Mahlon DickersonJuly 22, 1808January 9, 1809Walter FranklinJanuary 9, 1809October 2, 1810ResignedFranklin accepted state judicial appointmentJoseph ReedOctober 2, 1810January 26, 1811Richard RushJanuary 26, 1811December 13, 1811Jared IngersollDecember 13, 1811December 21, 1816Amos EllmakerDecember 21, 1816July 7, 1819Thomas SergeantJuly 7, 1819December 20, 1820Thomas ElderDecember 20, 1820December 18, 1823Frederick SmithDecember 18, 1823February 5, 1828ResignedSmith accepted a position as Justice on the state Supreme CourtCalvin BlytheFebruary 5, 1828May 6, 1828Amos EllmakerMay 6, 1828August 17, 1829Philip S. MarkleyAugust 17, 1829February 10, 1830Samuel DouglasFebruary 10, 1830January 29, 1833Ellis LewisJanuary 29, 1833October 14, 1833ResignedLewis accepted a position as President Judge of the Eighth Judicial DistrictGeorge M. DallasOctober 14, 1833December 1, 1835James ToddSee article for citations regarding the dates.December 18, 1835April 2, 1838ResignedTodd accepted a Philadelphia judicial appointment.William B. ReedApril 2, 1838January 15, 1839Ovid F. JohnsonJanuary 15, 1839January 21, 1845John K. KaneJanuary 21, 1845June 17, 1846This is the date of his judicial commission; there is no date listed in The Pennsylvania Manual.ResignedKane accepted a federal judiciary appointment.John M. ReadJune 23, 1846December 18, 1846ResignedBenjamin ChampneysDecember 18, 1846July 31, 1848James CooperJuly 31, 1848December 30, 1848ResignedCornelius DarraghJanuary 4, 1849April 28, 1851Thomas E. FranklinApril 28, 1851January 21, 1852James CampbellJanuary 21, 1852March 8, 1853ResignedCampbell accepted the position of U. S. Postmaster General.Francis Wade HughesMarch 14, 1853January 17, 1855Thomas E. FranklinJanuary 17, 1855January 19, 1858John C. KnoxJanuary 19, 1858January 16, 1861Samuel A. PurvianceJanuary 16, 1861June 3, 1861William M. MeredithJune 3, 1861January 16, 1867Benjamin Harris BrewsterJanuary 16, 1867October 25, 1869ResignedF. Carroll BrewsterOctober 26, 1869January 22, 1873Samuel E. DimmickJanuary 22, 1873October 11, 1875Died in officeGeorge LearDecember 7, 1875February 26, 1879Henry W. PalmerFebruary 26, 1879January 17, 1883Lewis C. CassidyJanuary 17, 1883January 18, 1887William S. KirkpatrickJanuary 18, 1887January 10, 1891W. U. HenselJanuary 10, 1891January 15, 1895Henry Clay McCormickJanuary 15, 1895January 18, 1899John P. ElkinJanuary 18, 1899January 21, 1903Hampton L. CarsonJanuary 21, 1903January 16, 1907Moses Hampton ToddJanuary 16, 1907January 17, 1911John C. BellJanuary 17, 1911January 19, 1915Francis Shunk BrownJanuary 19, 1915January 21, 1919William I. SchafferJanuary 21, 1919December 14, 1920Resigned

Attorneys general appointed between 1920 and 1980 ImageNameTook officeLeft officeGovernor(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, 1929Resigned John Stuchell Fisher Cyrus E. Woods January 28, 1929 November 1, 1930William A. SchnaderNovember 1, 1930January 15, 1935 Gifford Pinchot Charles J. Margiotti January 15, 1935 April 27, 1938 George Howard Earle III Guy K. Bard April 27, 1938 January 17, 1939 Claude T. Reno January 17, 1939 December 31, 1942 Arthur James E. Russell Shockley December 31, 1942 January 19, 1943James H. DuffJanuary 19, 1943January 21, 1947 Edward Martin John C. Bell Jr. T. McKeen Chidsey January 21, 1947 July 5, 1950 James H. DuffCharles J. MargiottiJuly 5, 1950March 2, 1951 John S. Fine Robert E. Woodside March 7, 1951 October 1, 1953 Frank Truscott October 13, 1953 January 18, 1955 Herbert B. Cohen January 18, 1955 December 17, 1956 George M. Leader Thomas D. McBride December 17, 1956 December 15, 1958 Harrington Adams (acting) December 16, 1958 January 19, 1959 Anne X. Alpern January 20, 1959 August 28, 1961 David L. Lawrence David Henry Stahl August 29, 1961 January 15, 1963 Walter E. Alessandroni January 15, 1963 May 8, 1966 William Scranton Edward Friedman May 11, 1966 January 17, 1967 William C. Sennett January 17, 1967 July 3, 1970 Raymond P. Shafer Fred Speaker July 4, 1970 January 19, 1971 J. Shane Creamer January 25, 1971 December 31, 1972 Milton Shapp Israel Packel January 2, 1973 December 23, 1974 Robert P. Kane January 6, 1975 June 7, 1978 Gerald Gornish June 7, 1978 December 31, 1978 J. Justin Blewitt Jr. (acting) January 1, 1979 January 16, 1979 Edward G. Biester Jr. January 16, 1979 May 19, 1980 Dick Thornburgh Harvey Bartle III May 20, 1980 January 20, 1981

Occupants of the elected Pennsylvania Attorney General office (1981–present) ImageNameTook officeLeft office LeRoy S. ZimmermanJanuary 20, 1981January 17, 1989 Ernie PreateJanuary 17, 1989June 23, 1995 Walter W. Cohen (acting)June 26, 1995October 3, 1995 Tom CorbettOctober 3, 1995January 21, 1997 Mike FisherJanuary 21, 1997December 15, 2003 Jerry PappertDecember 18, 2003January 18, 2005 Tom CorbettJanuary 18, 2005January 18, 2011 William Ryan (acting)January 18, 2011May 27, 2011 Linda KellyMay 27, 2011January 15, 2013 Kathleen KaneJanuary 15, 2013August 17, 2016 Bruce Castor (acting)August 17, 2016August 31, 2016 Bruce BeemerAugust 31, 2016January 17, 2017 Josh ShapiroJanuary 17, 2017January 17, 2023 Michelle HenryJanuary 17, 2023January 21, 2025 Dave SundayJanuary 21, 2025present

Pennsylvania Attorney General

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