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. The current Attorney General is Democrat Josh Shapiro.
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. Governor Tom Wolf nominated Bruce Beemer to serve out the remaining balance of Kane's term which expired in January 2017 in which Democrat Josh Shapiro succeeded Bruce Beemer.

Authority and responsibilities

The Commonwealth Attorneys Act of 1980 established the Office of Attorney General as an independent office headed by an elected Attorney General. 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 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 as a member of 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.

List of attorneys general

There have been four styles of selection of 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 with the Supreme Executive Council. Under the new Constitution of 1790, Attorneys General were appointed by the Governor, subject to approval by the Legislature. 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.

Attorneys general appointed between 1791 and 1920

NameTook officeLeft officeComment
William BradfordJune 9, 1791August 20, 1791Resigned
Jared IngersollAugust 20, 1791May 10, 1800-
Joseph B. McKeanMay 10, 1800July 22, 1808-
Mahlon DickersonJuly 22, 1808January 9, 1809-
Walter FranklinJanuary 9, 1809October 2, 1810Resigned
Joseph ReedOctober 2, 1810January 26, 1811-
Richard RushJanuary 26, 1811December 13, 1811-
Jared IngersollDecember 13, 1811December 21, 1816-
Amos EllmakerDecember 21, 1816July 7, 1819-
Thomas SergeantJuly 7, 1819December 20, 1820-
Thomas ElderDecember 20, 1820December 18, 1823-
Frederick SmithDecember 18, 1823February 5, 1828Resigned
Calvin BlytheFebruary 5, 1828May 6, 1828-
Amos EllmakerMay 6, 1828August 17, 1829-
Philip S. MarkleyAugust 17, 1829February 10, 1830-
Samuel DouglasFebruary 10, 1830January 29, 1833-
Ellis LewisJanuary 29, 1833October 14, 1833Resigned
George M. DallasOctober 14, 1833December 1, 1835-
James ToddDecember 18, 1835April 2, 1838Resigned
William B. ReedApril 2, 1838January 15, 1839-
Ovid F. JohnsonJanuary 15, 1839January 21, 1845-
John K. KaneJanuary 21, 1845June 17, 1846Resigned
John M. ReadJune 23, 1846December 18, 1846Resigned
Benjamin ChampneysDecember 18, 1846July 31, 1848-
James CooperJuly 31, 1848December 30, 1848Resigned
Cornelius DarraghJanuary 4, 1849April 28, 1851-
Thomas E. FranklinApril 28, 1851January 21, 1852-
James CampbellJanuary 21, 1852March 8, 1853Resigned
Francis Wade HughesMarch 14, 1853January 17, 1855-
Thomas E. FranklinJanuary 17, 1855January 19, 1858-
John C. KnoxJanuary 19, 1858January 16, 1861-
Samuel A. PurvianceJanuary 16, 1861June 3, 1861-
William M. MeredithJune 3, 1861January 16, 1867-
Benjamin Harris BrewsterJanuary 16, 1867October 25, 1869Resigned
F. Carroll BrewsterOctober 26, 1869January 22, 1873-
Samuel E. DimmickJanuary 22, 1873October 11, 1875Died in office
George LearDecember 7, 1875February 26, 1879-
Henry W. PalmerFebruary 26, 1879January 17, 1883-
Lewis C. CassidyJanuary 17, 1883January 18, 1887-
William S. KirkpatrickJanuary 18, 1887January 10, 1891-
W. U. HenselJanuary 10, 1891January 15, 1895-
Henry Clay McCormickJanuary 15, 1895January 18, 1899-
John P. ElkinJanuary 18, 1899January 21, 1903-
Hampton L. CarsonJanuary 21, 1903January 16, 1907-
Moses Hampton ToddJanuary 16, 1907January 17, 1911-
John C. BellJanuary 17, 1911January 19, 1915-
Francis Shunk BrownJanuary 19, 1915January 21, 1919-
William I. SchafferJanuary 21, 1919December 14, 1920Resigned

Attorneys general appointed between 1920 and 1980

Occupants of the elected Pennsylvania Attorney General office (1981–present)