The Office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia is the largest prosecutor's office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. The current District Attorney of Philadelphia is Seth Williams

R. Seth Williams

Rufus Seth Williams is the District Attorney of the city of Philadelphia. He began his term January 4, 2010. He previously served as an Assistant District Attorney. Williams is the first African-American District Attorney in Philadelphia and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.-Early...

. The District Attorney represents the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City & County of Philadelphia in all criminal and other prosecutions.

The District Attorney is an elected-office and terms begin on the first Monday in January following the election. 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. The term was extended to four years under the State Constitution

Pennsylvania Constitution

The current Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, most recently revised in 1968, forms the law for the United States Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...

 of 1874, Article 14.

List of District Attorneys of Philadelphia

District Attorney	Term	Political party
Horn R. Kneass	1850 – 1851	Republican
William B. Reed	1851 – 1856	Republican
William B. Mann	1856 – 1868	Republican (On November 3, 1856, Lewis C. Cassidy had been elected district attorney but his election was successfully contested by William B. Mann.)
Furman Sheppard	1868 – 1869	Republican
Charles Gibbons	1869 – 1870	Republican(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.
Furman Sheppard	1870 – 1871	Republican
William B. Mann	1871 – 1875	Republican
Furman Sheppard	1875 – 1878	Republican
Henry S. Hagert	1878 – 1881	Republican
George S. Graham	1880 – 1899	Republican (Elected Nov. 2, 1880, declined to be a candidate in 1899, later elected to the US House of Representatives in 1912)
Williams Evens Crow	1899 – 1901	Republican
John Weaver	1902 – 1903	Republican (Elected in 1901 and left office after being elected Mayor of Philadelphia in 1903.)
John C. Bell	1903 – 1907	Republican (Appointed in 1903 to fill term of John Weaver, reelected 1904, declined renomination)
Samuel P. Rotan	1906 – 1926	Republican (First elected in 1906, died in office)
Charles Edwin Fox	1926–1928	Republican
John Monaghan	1928 – 1931	Republican
Charles F. Kelley	1931 – 1941	Republican (died in office)
John H. Maurer	1941 – 1952	Republican
Richardson Dilworth Richardson Dilworth Richardson K. Dilworth was an American Democratic Party politician, born in the Pittsburgh area, who served as the 91st Mayor of Philadelphia from 1956 to 1962.-Education and early career:...	January 7, 1952 – January 2, 1956	Democratic (elected Mayor of Philadelphia in 1955)
Victor H. Blanc	January 2, 1956 – January 8, 1962	Democratic
James C. Crumlish, Jr. James C. Crumlish, Jr. James C. "Jim" 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.-Early life:...	January 8, 1962 – January 3, 1966	Democratic (Appointed district attorney to finish out the four-year term of Victor Blanc, who had been named a judge, later a longtime Commonwealth Court Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court's headquarters is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is the other intermediate appellate court in the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System...  Judge, himself.)
Arlen Specter Arlen Specter Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...	January 3, 1966 – January 7, 1974	Republican (two four-year terms, lost his pursuit to a third term in 1973 general election.)
F. Emmett Fitzpatrick F. Emmett Fitzpatrick F. Emmett Fitzpatrick is an American politician, attorney and professor. A noted criminal defense attorney, he served as the District Attorney of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1974 and 1978.-Early life and education:...	January 7, 1974 – January 2, 1978	Democratic (lost 1977 primary election to Ed Rendell Ed Rendell Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003... )
Edward G. Rendell Ed Rendell Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...	January 2, 1978 – January 6, 1986	Democratic (elected to two four-year terms)
Ronald D. Castille Ronald D. Castille Ronald D. Castille is the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. He was the District Attorney of the City of Philadelphia from 1986 until 1991 and is a member of the Republican Party...	January 6, 1986 – March 12, 1991	Republican (elected two four-year terms, resigned his office for an unsuccessful campaign for Mayor of Philadelphia)
Lynne Abraham Lynne Abraham Lynne Abraham 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. As District Attorney, she oversaw the largest district attorney's office...	May 15, 1991 – January 4, 2010	Democratic (succeeded Ron Castille; elected to four four-year terms)
Seth Williams R. Seth Williams Rufus Seth Williams is the District Attorney of the city of Philadelphia. He began his term January 4, 2010. He previously served as an Assistant District Attorney. Williams is the first African-American District Attorney in Philadelphia and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.-Early...	January 4, 2010 – present	Democratic (incumbent)

External links

• Phila.Gov | Office of the District Attorney : R. Seth Williams: