Pennsylvania Attorney General Explained

Post:	Attorney General
Body:	the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag:	Seal of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania.svg
Flagcaption:	Seal of the attorney general of Pennsylvania
Incumbent:	Michelle Henry
Incumbentsince:	January 17, 2023
Termlength:	Four years
Formation:	1683
Salary:	$162,000 per year
Appointer:	Direct popular vote

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.

On August 15, 2016, then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane was convicted of criminal charges, including conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice,^{[2] [3]} and announced her resignation the following day, effective August 17.^[4] Consequently, as the Solicitor General, Bruce Castor assumed the office as Acting Attorney General.^[5] 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. Henry was confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate in her own right later that year.

Authority and responsibilities

The Commonwealth Attorneys Act of 1980^[6] established the Office of Attorney General as an independent office headed by an elected attorney general.^[7] 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.^{[8] [9]} 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.^[10]

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 (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.^[11]

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

Image	Name	Took office	Left office	Comment
	John Morris Jr.	July 16, 1777	November 1, 1777	pro tem^[12]
	Jonathan D. Sergeant	November 1, 1777	November 23, 1780	Resigned^[13]
	William Bradford	November 23, 1780	-	Re-commissioned

Attorneys general appointed between 1791 and 1920

Image	Name	Took office	Left office	Comment
	William Bradford	June 9, 1791	August 20, 1791	Resigned^[14]
	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^[15]
	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
	Frederick Smith	December 18, 1823	February 5, 1828	Resigned^[16]
	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
	Ellis Lewis	January 29, 1833	October 14, 1833	Resigned^[17]
	George M. Dallas	October 14, 1833	December 1, 1835
	James Todd^[18]	December 18, 1835	April 2, 1838	Resigned^[19]
	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^[20]	Resigned^[21]
	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
	Thomas E. Franklin	April 28, 1851	January 21, 1852
	James Campbell	January 21, 1852	March 8, 1853	Resigned^[22]
	Francis Wade Hughes	March 14, 1853	January 17, 1855
	Thomas E. Franklin	January 17, 1855	January 19, 1858
	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
	George Lear	December 7, 1875	February 26, 1879
	Henry W. Palmer	February 26, 1879	January 17, 1883
	Lewis C. Cassidy	January 17, 1883	January 18, 1887
	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
	John P. Elkin	January 18, 1899	January 21, 1903
	Hampton L. Carson	January 21, 1903	January 16, 1907
	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

Attorneys general appointed between 1920 and 1980

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^[23]		John Stuchell Fisher
	Cyrus E. Woods	January 28, 1929	November 1, 1930
	William A. Schnader	November 1, 1930^[24]	January 15, 1935^[25]
					Gifford Pinchot
	Charles J. Margiotti	January 15, 1935^[26]	April 27, 1938		George Howard Earle III
	Guy K. Bard	April 27, 1938	January 17, 1939
	Claude T. Reno	January 17, 1939^[27]	December 31, 1942^[28]		Arthur James
	E. Russell Shockley	December 31, 1942	January 19, 1943
	James H. Duff	January 19, 1943^[29]	January 21, 1947^[30]		Edward Martin
					John C. Bell Jr.
	T. McKeen Chidsey	January 21, 1947	July 5, 1950^[31]		James H. Duff
	Charles J. Margiotti	July 5, 1950^[32]	March 2, 1951^[33]
					John S. Fine
	Robert E. Woodside	March 7, 1951	October 1, 1953^[34]
	Frank Truscott	October 13, 1953	January 18, 1955
	Herbert B. Cohen	January 18, 1955^[35]	December 17, 1956		George M. Leader
	Thomas D. McBride	December 17, 1956	January 20, 1959
	Anne X. Alpern	January 20, 1959	August 28, 1961^[36]		David L. Lawrence
	David Henry Stahl	August 29, 1961	January 15, 1963
	Walter E. Alessandroni	January 15, 1963	May 8, 1966^[37]		William Scranton
	Edward Friedman	May 11, 1966	January 17, 1967
	William C. Sennett	January 17, 1967	July 3, 1970^[38]		Raymond P. Shafer
	Fred Speaker	July 4, 1970	January 19, 1971
	J. Shane Creamer	January 25, 1971	December 31, 1972^[39] ^[40]		Milton Shapp
	Israel Packel	January 2, 1973	December 23, 1974^[41]
	Robert P. Kane	January 6, 1975	June 7, 1978^[42]
	Gerald Gornish	June 7, 1978	December 31, 1978
	J. Justin Blewitt Jr. (acting)	January 1, 1979^[43]	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)

Image	Name	Took office	Left office
		LeRoy S. Zimmerman	January 20, 1981^[44]	January 17, 1989^[45]
		Ernie Preate	January 17, 1989	June 23, 1995^[46]
		Walter W. Cohen (acting)	June 26, 1995	October 3, 1995^[47]
		Tom Corbett	October 3, 1995	January 21, 1997
		Mike Fisher	January 21, 1997	December 15, 2003^[48]
		Jerry Pappert	December 18, 2003	January 18, 2005
		Tom Corbett	January 18, 2005	January 18, 2011^[49]
		William Ryan (acting)	January 18, 2011	May 27, 2011
		Linda Kelly	May 27, 2011^[50]	January 15, 2013
		Kathleen Kane	January 15, 2013^[51]	August 17, 2016
		Bruce Castor (acting)	August 17, 2016	August 31, 2016
		Bruce Beemer	August 31, 2016	January 17, 2017
		Josh Shapiro	January 17, 2017	January 17, 2023
			January 17, 2023	present
		Dave Sunday (elect)	Taking office: January 21, 2025

See also

• Governor of Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania General Assembly
• Pennsylvania Auditor General
• Pennsylvania Treasurer
• Pennsylvania State Capitol

External links

• Pennsylvania Attorney General official website
• Pennsylvania Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
• News and Commentary at FindLaw
• Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes at Law.Justia.com
• U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Pennsylvania" at FindLaw
• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane profile at National Association of Attorneys General
• Press releases at Pennsylvania Attorney General

Notes and References

1. Penn. Const. Art. 4, § 4.1
2. News: Dale. Maryclaire. Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane Found Guilty on All Charges in Perjury Trial. 16 August 2016. NBC 10 Philadelphia. Associated Press. 16 August 2016.
3. News: Bidgood. Jess. Pennsylvania's Attorney General Is Convicted on All Counts. 16 August 2016. New York Times. New York Times. 16 August 2016.
4. Web site: Pennsylvania attorney general resigning. Susannah Cullinane . Ralph Ellis. cnn.com.
5. Bumsted, Brad, (19 July 2016), "Castor Next In Line to Be Pennsylvania Attorney General", Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Accessed September 20, 2016.
6. 71 P. S. §732-101
7. http://www.oit.state.pa.us/ogc/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=99956 OGC: Commonwealth Attorneys Act
8. Web site: Total Home Protection To Pay $400K In Restitution, Revise Business Practices . 2024-06-20 . Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General . en.
9. Web site: It's All in the Family; AG Shapiro Nabs 2nd Scam Company in Seruya Family . 2024-06-20 . Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General . en.
10. Web site: The Office: Attorney General Tom Corbett - Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General . 2008-01-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080110011438/http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/theoffice.aspx?id=168 . 2008-01-10 . dead .
11. Web site: History of the Office of Attorney General. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060923051227/http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/theoffice.aspx?id=170. 2006-09-23.
12. Morris was Clerk of the General Assembly
13. Book: Pennsylvania Archives. 1858. 612.
14. Bradford accepted state Supreme Court appointment
15. Franklin accepted state judicial appointment
16. Smith accepted a position as Justice on the state Supreme Court
17. Lewis accepted a position as President Judge of the Eighth Judicial District
18. See article for citations regarding the dates.
19. Todd accepted a Philadelphia judicial appointment.
20. This is the date of his judicial commission; there is no date listed in The Pennsylvania Manual.
21. Kane accepted a federal judiciary appointment.
22. Campbell accepted the position of U. S. Postmaster General.
23. Resigned
24. News: Schnader Takes Oath. International News Service. Chester Times. 8. November 1, 1930. 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..
25. News: Forms Law Firm. William A. Schnader, who relinquishes the office of attorney general in Governor Pinchot's cabinet tomorrow…. January 14, 1935. Chester Times. November 15, 2012. 1.
26. Book: Official Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania for the Years 1937 and 1938 . Charles J. Margiotti, Attorney General (January 15, 1935 to April 27, 1938); Guy K. Bard, Attorney General (April 27, 1938 to January 17, 1939) . November 15, 2012 . 1939 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305131729/http://search.attorneygeneral.gov/Documents/AG%20Opinions/PA_Official_Opinions_of_the_Attorney_General_1937-1938.pdf . March 5, 2012 . dead .
27. News: 14 New Cabinet Members Safe; Two Are Held Up. Chester Times. 2. November 14, 2012. January 18, 1939. United Press.
28. News: Harrisburg Man to Fill Reno's Place; E. Russel Shockley Is New Attorney General. International News Service. New Castle News. 7. December 31, 1942.
29. News: Martin Picks Duff, Neel For Cabinet. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 14, 1943. November 14, 2012. John E.. Jones. 1.
30. News: Chester Times. January 22, 1947. Blast Chesnut, Wilhelm, Smock Appointments. November 14, 2012. p. 2, no. 9. United Press.
31. News: Margiotti To Send Aide to Job Probe. Pittsburgh Press. 6. July 5, 1950. November 14, 2012.
32. Web site: Office of Attorney General . . https://www.webcitation.org/6C39KfCaJ?url=http://www.psp.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_54553_7550_515532_43/http;/pubcontent.state.pa.us/publishedcontent/publish/cop_general_government_operations/dgs/community_content/publications_and_media_services/subcommunities/publications . November 9, 2012 . November 9, 2012 . dead .
33. News: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Margiotti Bows Out Of Cabinet. Associated Press. 2. March 3, 1951. November 9, 2012.
34. Book: Official Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania for the Years 1953 and 1954 . Robert E. Woodside (Resigned October 1, 1953); Frank F. Truscott (Commissioned October 13, 1953) . November 9, 2012 . 1954 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305111914/http://search.attorneygeneral.gov/Documents/AG%20Opinions/PA_Official_Opinions_of_the_Attorney_General_1953-1954.pdf . March 5, 2012 . dead .
35. Book: Official Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania for the Years 1955 and 1956 . Herbert B. Cohen (Commissioned January 18, 1955, Resigned December 17, 1956); Thomas D. McBride (Commissioned December 17, 1956) . November 9, 2012 . 1956 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305152204/http://search.attorneygeneral.gov/Documents/AG%20Opinions/PA_Official_Opinions_of_the_Attorney_General_1955-1956.pdf . March 5, 2012 . dead .
36. Book: Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: 1961–1962 . Anne X. Alpern (Resigned August 28, 1961); David Stahl (Commissioned August 29, 1961) . November 9, 2012 . 1962 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305113805/http://search.attorneygeneral.gov/Documents/AG%20Opinions/PA_Official_Opinions_of_the_Attorney_General_1961-1962.pdf . March 5, 2012 . dead .
37. Book: Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: 1963–1966 . Walter E. Alessandroni (Died May 8, 1966); Edward Friedman (May 11, 1966 to January 17, 1967) . November 9, 2012 . 1966 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305131826/http://search.attorneygeneral.gov/Documents/AG%20Opinions/PA_Official_Opinions_of_the_Attorney_General_1963-1966.pdf . March 5, 2012 . dead .
38. 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. http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?page=2&xmldoc=197460367PaDampC2d536_1511.xml&docbase=CSLWAR1-1950-1985. November 9, 2012.
39. News: 2 Crime Unit Members Ousted In Pennsylvania. November 9, 2012. January 2, 1973. Toledo Blade. 7. Associated Press. On Sunday, Gov. Milton J. Shapp…forced the resignation of Attorney General J. Shane Creamer…..
40. News: Probe Centers on Free Booze Charge. Pittsburgh Press. September 6, 1973. 2. John. Taylor. …Creamer was ousted last Dec. 31. November 9, 2012.
41. News: Shapp Names Kane As New Attorney General. …Israel Packel, who submitted his resignation letter Monday.. 2. The News-Dispatch. December 27, 1974. November 9, 2012. United Press International.
42. News: Gerald Gornish Takes Attorney General Post. November 9, 2012. June 8, 1978. Observer–Reporter. A-6. Associated Press. Kane bowed out quietly Wednesday…..
43. Book: Opinions of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: 1979–1981 . 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) . November 9, 2012 . 1981 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305112727/http://search.attorneygeneral.gov/Documents/AG%20Opinions/PA_Official_Opinions_of_the_Attorney_General_1979-1981.pdf . March 5, 2012 . dead .
44. News: Jensen. Edward. Three state officials take oaths of office. November 13, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 21, 1981. 5.
45. News: Casey welcomes Knoll, Hafer, Preate to office. November 13, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 18, 1989. Associated Press. 1.
46. News: Preate Is Gone But Not Quite Forgotten The Attorney General's Resignation Became Official Yesterday . Robert . Moran . June 24, 1995 . . A-1 . November 13, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091448/http://articles.philly.com/1995-06-24/news/25692837_1_ernie-preate-robert-r-gentzel-attorney-general-preate . March 4, 2016 . dead .
47. News: 1. Reading Eagle. Corbett sworn in, pledges review of probe. John D. Jr.. Forester. October 4, 1995. November 13, 2012.
48. News: Torsten. Ove. December 16, 2004. Fisher sworn in as federal judge. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 13, 2012.
49. News: Brad . Bumsted . Mike . Wereschagin . January 18, 2011 . Corbett promises fiscal discipline, responsible government as he takes oath . . November 13, 2012 . March 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221307/http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_718706.html . dead .
50. November 13, 2012 . May 27, 2011 . Linda L. Kelly becomes Pennsylvania Attorney General . Pennsylvania Attorney General . https://web.archive.org/web/20120902004137/http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=6120 . September 2, 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. . dead .
51. News: Olson. Laura. Three Democratic row officers sworn in. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 15, 2013.