| Post: | City Attorney |
| Body: | San Diego |
| Flag: | Flag of San Diego, California.svg |
| Flagsize: | 100px |
| Flagcaption: | Flag of San Diego, California |
| Insignia: | Seal of San Diego, California.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 100px |
| Insigniacaption: | Seal of San Diego, California |
| Incumbent: | Mara Elliott |
| Incumbentsince: | December 12, 2016 |
| Termlength: | Four years, renewable once |
| Formation: | 1850 |
| Salary: | $193,648 annually |
| Inaugural: | Thomas W. Sutherland |
| Website: | Office of the City Attorney |
The San Diego City Attorney is an elected official in San Diego, California. The City Attorney serves as the city government's lawyer and as a criminal prosecutor for misdemeanor violations and infractions. The city attorney is elected for four years, and may serve up to two terms.[1] The current city attorney is Mara Elliott.[2] Predecessors include Jan Goldsmith (2008-2016), Mike Aguirre (2004-2008), Casey Gwinn (1996-2004), and John W. Witt (1969-1996).[3] [4] Ms. Elliott is the first woman, and first Latina, to serve as City Attorney for San Diego, California.[5]
The San Diego City Attorney's Office has four divisions.
The following list shows San Diego City Attorneys since the incorporation of the City of San Diego.[7] [8] [9] From 1852 until 1888 the City government was dissolved due to a bankruptcy and there was no official city attorney.[10]
| City Attorney | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1851 | |
| 1852 | 1852 | |
| 1888 | 1888 | |
| 1889 | 1890 | |
| 1891 | 1894 | |
| 1895 | 1904 | |
| 1905 | 1906 | |
| 1907 | 1909 | |
| 1910 | 1913 | |
| 1914 | 1919 | |
| 1919 | 1927 | |
| 1927 | 1928 | |
| 1928 | 1931 | |
| 1931 | 1931 | |
| 1931 | 1936 | |
| 1937 | 1941 | |
| 1941 | 1941 | |
| 1941 | 1942 | |
| 1943 | 1943 | |
| 1943 | 1961 | |
| 1961 | 1963 | |
| 1963 | 1965 | |
| 1965 | 1969 | |
| 1969 | 1996 | |
| 1996 | 2004 | |
| 2004 | 2008 | |
| 2008 | 2016 | |
| 2016 | Incumbent | |