The city attorney of San Francisco is an elected position in the City and County of San Francisco, California. While city-county consolidation resulted in the unified government having both a city attorney and a district attorney, the two positions are separate and serve different purposes.
Whereas the district attorney's office is, as is the case throughout the United States, charged with prosecuting crimes (i.e. has the equivalent function of a Prosecutor's Office in other countries), the city attorney provides legal services to the mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and the rest of the city and county administration; examines surety bonds, contracts and ordinances; and represents the city and county administration in civil claims, formally as a representative of the people of the State of California.
The city attorney is assisted by a number of assistant city attorneys. In the 1996 city charter, the office is currently governed by section 6.102, last amended in 2002.
History Prior to 1856, the City of San Francisco had a city attorney but no district attorney, while the County of San Francisco (encompassing the territory of the city and more) had a district attorney but no county attorney.San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1304–1305 After the city-county consolidation in July 1856, the incumbent city and district attorneys continued as "attorney and counsellor" and "district attorney" respectively, each of the new "City and County of San Francisco".San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1304–1305, 1326 The 1854 city attorney election had been marred by allegations of ballot stuffing, and in 1857 was appointed by the Board of Supervisors.Shuck 1901 pp. 400–401 An 1862 act of the California State Legislature made the position of city attorney subject to popular election every two years.California Act 110 of 1862 An Act providing for an Attorney and Counsellor in and for the City and County of San Francisco
The first woman to hold the position was Louise Renne in 1986, appointed by then-mayor Dianne Feinstein following the death of previous city attorney George Agnost.
List of City Attorneys Ayuntamiento attorney during interim government of California Archibald Carey Peachy (1849–50)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1294; Shuck 1901 pp. 401–402 City attorney Thomas H. Holt (1850–51)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1297, 1304 Frank M. Pixley (1851–52)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1304 Charles McC. Delany (Jan–Nov 1852)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1300, 1304 John K. Hackett (1852–53)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1301, 1304 Solomon A. Sharp (1853–54) Lorenzo Sawyer (1854–55)Shuck 1901 p. 569San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1305 Balie Peyton (1855–56)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1305, 1326 City and county attorney Balie Peyton (1856–57) (1857–1860)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1327–1328 (1860–1861)Shuck 1901 p. 507San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1328 John H. Saunders (1861–66)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1328–1330 Horace M. Hastings (1866–69)Shuck 1901 p. 860; San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1330–1331 Joseph M. Nougues (1869–71)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1331, 1334; Shuck 1889 p. 301 Wellington Cleveland Burnett (1871–80)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1334–1335, 1338–1339 John Luttrell Murphy (1880–82)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1344 Jabez F. Cowdery (1882–83)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1345 William Craig (1883–85) John Lord Love (1885–87)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1350 George Flournoy, Jr. (1887–91)Shuck 1889 p. 531San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1351, 1356 John H. Durst (1891–93)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1356–1357 Harry T. Creswell (1893–1898)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1357, 1362–1363 James L. Gallagher (1898–1899)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1363 Franklin Knight Lane (1899–1902)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 pp. 1363, 1427 Percy V. Long (1902–1906)San Francisco Board of Supervisors 1911 p. 1427 William G. Burke (1906–1908) Percy V. Long (1908–1916) George Lull (1916–1926) John J. O'Toole (1926–1949) Dion R. Holm (1949–1961) Thomas Martin O'Connor (1961–1977) George Agnost (1977–1986) Philip Ward (1986) Louise Renne (1986–2001) Dennis Herrera (2002–2021) David Chiu (2021–present)
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References
External links City Attorney of San Francisco official website