District Attorney of Philadelphia

Last updated
District Attorney of Philadelphia
Larry Krasner, Candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Larry Krasner
since January 1, 2018
Term length 4 years
Formation1850
First holder Horn R. Kneass
Salary$ 175,576 (2017)

The office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia is the largest prosecutor's office in the state of Pennsylvania and oversees a jurisdiction that includes more than 1.5 million citizens of both the city and county of Philadelphia. [1] The current District Attorney of Philadelphia is Larry Krasner. The district attorney represents the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City & County of Philadelphia in all criminal and other prosecutions. [2]

Contents

The district attorney is an elected office, and terms begin on the first Monday in January following the election. [2] Prior to 1850, the functions of this office were performed by a deputy state attorney-general. An Act of 3 May 1850 P.L. 654 authorized the voters of each of Pennsylvania's counties to elect one person, of requisite legal background to serve as district attorney for a term of three years. [2] The term was extended to four years under the State Constitution of 1874, Article 14. [2] [3]

List of District Attorneys of Philadelphia

District AttorneyTermPolitical party
Horn R. Kneass 1850–1851Republican
William B. Reed 1851–1856Republican
William B. Mann 1856–1868Republican (On November 3, 1856, Lewis C. Cassidy had been elected district attorney but his election was successfully contested by William B. Mann.) [2]
Furman Sheppard 1868–1869Republican
Charles Gibbons1869–1870Republican (On November 2, 1868, Furman Shepard was duly elected and sworn-in as District Attorney, however, Mr. Gibbons contested the election and the court declared him the victor, in 1870 the court realized a tabulation error and reappointed Furmand. [2]
Furman Sheppard 1870–1871Republican
William B. Mann 1871–1875Republican
Furman Sheppard 1875–1878Republican
Henry S. Hagert 1878–1881Republican
George S. Graham 1880–1899Republican (Elected Nov. 2, 1880, declined to be a candidate in 1899, later elected to the US House of Representatives in 1912) [4]
P. Frederick Rothermel 1899–1902Republican
John Weaver 1902–1903Republican (Elected in 1901 and left office after being elected Mayor of Philadelphia in 1903.) [5] [6]
John C. Bell 1903–1907Republican (Appointed in 1903 to fill term of John Weaver, reelected 1904, declined renomination) [6]
Samuel P. Rotan 1906–1926Republican (First elected in 1906) [6]
Charles Edwin Fox 1926–1928Republican (First Jewish DA in Philadelphia) [7] [8]
John Monaghan 1928–1931Republican [9] [10]
Charles F. Kelley 1931–1941Republican (died in office) [11] [12]
John H. Maurer 1941–1952Republican
Richardson Dilworth January 7, 1952 – January 2, 1956Democratic (elected Mayor of Philadelphia in 1955) [13]
Victor H. Blanc January 2, 1956 – January 8, 1962Democratic [14] [15] [16]
James C. Crumlish, Jr. January 8, 1962 – January 3, 1966Democratic (Appointed district attorney to finish out the four-year term of Victor Blanc, who had been named a judge, later a longtime Commonwealth Court Judge, himself.) [17] [18]
Arlen Specter January 3, 1966 – January 7, 1974Republican (two four-year terms, lost his pursuit to a third term in 1973 general election.) [19]
F. Emmett Fitzpatrick January 7, 1974 – January 2, 1978Democratic (lost 1977 primary election to Ed Rendell)
Edward G. Rendell January 2, 1978 – January 6, 1986Democratic (elected to two four-year terms)
Ronald D. Castille January 6, 1986 – March 12, 1991Republican (elected two four-year terms, resigned his office for an unsuccessful campaign for Mayor of Philadelphia)
Lynne Abraham May 15, 1991 – January 4, 2010Democratic (succeeded Ron Castille; elected to four four-year terms)
Seth Williams January 4, 2010 – June 29, 2017Democratic
Kelley B. Hodge July 24, 2017 – December 31, 2017Democratic (interim)
Larry Krasner January 1, 2018 – presentDemocratic (incumbent) [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynne Abraham</span> American attorney (born 1941)

Lynne Marsha Abraham is an American attorney who served as the district attorney of the City of Philadelphia from May 1991 to January 2010. She was the first woman to serve as Philadelphia's district attorney. Abraham won election to that position four times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Attorney General</span> Attorney general for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania

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 Michelle Henry.

Teresa Carr Deni is a lawyer, politician, and former judge in Philadelphia. From 1995 to 2016, she was a judge in the Philadelphia Municipal Court. In her first 12 years on the bench, she disposed hundreds of cases per year. Lawyers who appeared before her gave her a 90% approval rating. She earned the endorsement of the Philadelphia Bar Association for her Retention Election. Prior to becoming a judge, she chaired the Criminal Justice Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She participated in forming "Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers," which offers support to attorneys overcoming addictions. In December, 2016, she resigned to run for District Attorney of Philadelphia. She is a single adoptive mother of two sons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Williams (Pennsylvania politician)</span> American politician

Wendell Craig Williams is a former federal prosecutor, Assistant United States Attorney, member of the United States Marine Corps, and member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 160th district. He received his bachelor's degree from Duke University in 1987, his J.D. degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1997 and his master's degree from Columbia University in 2001.

Leslie Anne Miller is a Pennsylvania attorney and philanthropist who served as General Counsel of Pennsylvania under Governor Ed Rendell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. Seth Williams</span> Former district attorney

Rufus Seth Williams is a former district attorney of the city of Philadelphia. He began his term January 4, 2010. He formerly served as an assistant district attorney. Williams was the first African-American district attorney in Philadelphia and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. On March 21, 2017, Williams was indicted on 23 counts of bribery, extortion, and fraud. His trial began June 19, 2017. He resigned and pleaded guilty to one charge on June 29, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Pennsylvania elections</span>

Pennsylvania held statewide elections on November 8, 2011, to fill judicial positions and allow judicial retention votes. The necessary primary elections were held on May 17, 2011.

James C. Crumlish Jr. was an American attorney and politician. He served as the District Attorney of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1962 and 1966, and as a judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania from 1970 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Philadelphia mayoral election</span>

The 2015 Philadelphia mayoral election was held on November 3, 2015, to elect the Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, concurrently with various other state and local elections. Heavily favored Democratic party candidate Jim Kenney won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1951 Philadelphia municipal election</span>

The 1951 Philadelphia municipal election, held on Tuesday, November 6, was the first election under the city's new charter, which had been approved by the voters in April, and the first Democratic victory in the city in more than a half-century. The positions contested were those of mayor and district attorney, and all seventeen city council seats. There was also a referendum on whether to consolidate the city and county governments. Citywide, the Democrats took majorities of over 100,000 votes, breaking a 67-year Republican hold on city government. Joseph S. Clark Jr. and Richardson Dilworth, two of the main movers for the charter reform, were elected mayor and district attorney, respectively. Led by local party chairman James A. Finnegan, the Democrats also took fourteen of seventeen city council seats, and all of the citywide offices on the ballot. A referendum on city-county consolidation passed by a wide margin. The election marked the beginning of Democratic dominance of Philadelphia city politics, which continues today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 Philadelphia municipal election</span>

The 1955 Philadelphia municipal election, held on Tuesday, November 8, involved contests for mayor, district attorney, all seventeen city council seats, among other offices. Citywide, the Democrats took majorities of over 130,000 votes, continuing their success from the elections four years earlier. Richardson Dilworth, who had been elected district attorney in 1951, was elected mayor. Victor H. Blanc, a city councilman, was elected district attorney. The Democrats also kept fourteen of seventeen city council seats, losing one district seat while gaining another, and kept control of the other citywide offices. The election represented a further consolidation of control by the Democrats after their citywide victories of four years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor H. Blanc</span> American politician and lawyer

Victor Hugo Blanc was a Democratic lawyer and politician from Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1953 Philadelphia municipal election</span>

Philadelphia's municipal election of November 3, 1953, was the second held under the city charter of 1951 and represented the first test of the Democratic city government of Mayor Joseph S. Clark Jr. In the 1951 election, the voters had elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in 67 years, breaking the Republican hold on political power in the city. They had also elected a majority-Democratic City Council along with Democrats for district attorney and other citywide offices. In 1953, the voters had the chance to continue the Democratic trend or to block it in the election for City Controller, Register of Wills, and various judges and magistrates. On election day, the Republican organization recovered from their 1951 losses, electing all their candidates citywide. Republicans celebrated the victory, but subsequent Democratic triumphs in the 1955 and 1959 elections made the 1953 result more of an aberration than a true comeback for the once-powerful Philadelphia Republican machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Krasner</span> Philadelphia District Attorney (2018-present)

Lawrence Samuel Krasner is an American lawyer who is the 26th District Attorney of Philadelphia. Elected to the position in 2017, Krasner was one of the first in the United States to run as a self-described "progressive prosecutor". He campaigned on a platform to reform elements of the criminal justice system, including reduced incarceration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1961 Philadelphia municipal election</span>

Philadelphia's municipal election of November 7, 1961, involved the election of the district attorney, city controller, and several judgeships. Democrats swept all of the city races but saw their vote totals much reduced from those of four years earlier, owing to a growing graft scandal in city government. District Attorney James C. Crumlish, Jr. and City Controller Alexander Hemphill, both incumbents, were returned to office. Several ballot questions were also approved, including one permitting limited sales of alcohol on Sundays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelley B. Hodge</span> American judge (born 1971)

Kelley Brisbon Hodge is an American attorney and who is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She served as the 25th District Attorney of Philadelphia. After being elected on July 20, 2017, by the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Board of Judges, Hodge was sworn in on July 24, 2017, making her the first African American woman to serve as district attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill McSwain</span> American attorney (born 1969)

William Miller McSwain is an American attorney and a former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a position he held from April 6, 2018 to January 22, 2021. He was nominated to the post by President Donald Trump. After leaving his position as U.S. Attorney, McSwain entered private practice at Duane Morris LLP. He then ran, unsuccessfully, for the Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 after which he again returned to private practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Waxman</span> American journalist (1985-)

Benjamin R. Waxman is an American journalist, progressive activist and politician. He is the Representative for District 182 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Waxman previously served as an editorial writer for The Philadelphia Daily News and a reporter for WHYY-FM and as a political aide to State Senator Vincent Hughes and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Philadelphia City Council election</span>

The 2023 Philadelphia City Council elections was held November 7, 2023 for elections of all seats in the Philadelphia City Council. The Democratic Party maintained its super-majority on the council. The election took place on the same day as the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election and other local elections in the Commonwealth.

References

  1. ↑ Phila.Gov | Office of the District Attorney : R. Seth Williams:
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 John Hill Martin (1883). Martin's bench and bar of Philadelphia:together with other lists of persons appointed to administer the laws in the city and county of Philadelphia, and the province and commonwealth of Pennsylvania. R. Welsh & co. p. 87.
  3. ↑ District Attorney, Office of the: Agency Information
  4. ↑ GRAHAM, George Scott – Biographical Information:, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  5. ↑ "Philadelphia's Mayor Ends Gamblers' Sway – New Executive Carries Out One Promised Reform. 'Machine' Lets Him Name Director of Public Safety, but Continues Control Over the Public Works" (PDF). The New York Times . April 12, 1903. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 Hudson, Samuel (1909). Pennsylvania and Its Public Men. Pennsylvania State University. pp. 75, 81, 346.
  7. ↑ Philadelphia Bar Association Legends of the Bar
  8. ↑ "Charles Edwin Fox Elected District Attorney in Philadelphia". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 14 January 1926. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "Corruption: In Philadelphia". Time . October 8, 1928. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Corruption: In Philadelphia". Time. September 17, 1928. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  11. ↑ "In Philadelphia". Indiana Evening Gazette. September 16, 1931. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "District Attorney Dies in Car". The Titusville (PA.) Herald. October 3, 1941. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  13. ↑ , Richardson Dilworth papers (Collection 3112), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
  14. ↑ "The Press: Crusade in Philadelphia". Time. August 13, 1956. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  15. ↑ "Events & Discoveries: Autumn Across the Land, Pennsylvania Gives Muggsy Taylor the Green Light, Battle of Walden, Neji Wins Again, the Roaring Road in Your Living Room, Vindication for Muggsy". Sports Illustrated. October 28, 1957. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  16. ↑ Weigley, Russell Frank; Edwin Wolf (1982). Philadelphia: a 300 year history . W.W. Norton. p.  660. ISBN   0-393-01610-2.
  17. ↑ "James C. Crumlish Jr. Judge, 72". The New York Times . March 25, 1992. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  18. ↑ "Judge James C. Crumlish Jr., 71". The Philadelphia Inquirer . March 18, 1992. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  19. ↑ "Arlen Specter Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story – Biography.com:". Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  20. ↑ Chris Brennan & Aubrey Whelan, Larry Krasner wins race for Philly DA, The Philadelphia Inquirer (November 7, 2017).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.