New York County District Attorney
District Attorney of New York County | |
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Website |
ManhattanDA |
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws. (Federal law violations in Manhattan are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York). The current District Attorney is Cyrus Vance, Jr.
History
In the legislative act of February 5, 1796, New York State was divided into seven districts which had each an Assistant Attorney General, except New York County where Attorney General Josiah Ogden Hoffman prosecuted personally until 1801.[1]
From 1801 to 1813, New York County was part of the First District which included the then existing counties of New York, Suffolk, Queens, Kings, Richmond and Westchester (now comprising the area of Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, Staten Island, Westchester and Suffolk). In 1813, Westchester Co. was redistricted to a new district with Rockland and Putnam counties. In 1815, New York County was excluded from the First District and became the Twelfth District, at the time the only one consisting of a single county. In 1818, all 13 districts were broken up, and every county in the State of New York became a separate district.
From 1874 to 1895, the County of New York included the West Bronx, and from 1895 to 1913 all of what is today the County of Bronx, governing the same area as does the present Borough of the Bronx.[2] Since January 1, 1914, the boundaries of New York County have been identical to those of the Borough of Manhattan.
Until 1822, the district attorney was appointed by the Council of Appointment, and held the office "during the Council's pleasure", meaning that there was no defined term of office.
Under the provisions of the State Constitution of 1821, the D.A. was appointed to a three-year term by the Court of General Sessions.[1]
Under the provisions of the State Constitution of 1846, the office became elective by popular ballot.[1] The term was three years, beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. In case of a vacancy, the Governor of New York filled the vacancy temporarily until a successor was elected, always to a full term, at the next annual election. An acting D.A. was appointed by the Court of General Sessions pending the Governor's action.
The Consolidation Charter of 1896 extended the term of the incumbent John R. Fellows—who had been elected in 1893 to a three-year term (1894–96)—by a year, and since the City election of 1897, the D.A.'s term coincides with the Mayor's term, being four years long.[3] In case of a vacancy, a special election is held for the remainder of the term, if any.
District Attorneys
District Attorney | Dates in office | Party | Notes |
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Richard Riker[4] | August 19, 1801 — February 13, 1810 | Dem.-Rep. | |
Cadwallader D. Colden[4] | February 13, 1810 — February 19, 1811 | Federalist | |
Richard Riker[4] | February 19, 1811 — March 5, 1813 | Dem.-Rep. | |
Barent Gardenier[4] | March 5, 1813 — March 31, 1815 | Federalist | |
John Rodman[5] | March 31, 1815 — January 28, 1817 | Dem.-Rep. | |
Hugh Maxwell[5] | January 28, 1817 — June 11, 1818 | Dem.-Rep. | |
Pierre C. Van Wyck[6] | June 11, 1818 — February 13, 1821 | Dem.-Rep. | |
Hugh Maxwell[6] | February 13, 1821 — May 1829 | Dem.-Rep. |
|
Ogden Hoffman[6] | May 1829 — May 22, 1835 | Democratic |
|
Thomas Phoenix[6] | May 22, 1835 — June 4, 1838 |
| |
James R. Whiting[6] | June 4, 1838 — June 10, 1844 | Democratic |
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Matthew C. Paterson[6] | June 10, 1844 — January 26, 1846 |
| |
John McKeon[6] | February 6, 1846 — December 31, 1850 | Democratic |
|
N. Bowditch Blunt[6] | January 1, 1851 — July 17, 1854 | Whig |
|
Lorenzo B. Shepard[6] | July 25, 1854 — December 31, 1854 (interim) | Democratic |
|
A. Oakey Hall[6] | January 1, 1855 — December 31, 1857 | Whig |
|
Peter B. Sweeny[6] | January 1, 1858 — October 5, 1858 | Democratic |
|
Joseph Blunt[6] | October 1858 — December 31, 1858 (interim) | Republican |
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Nelson J. Waterbury[6] | January 1, 1859 — December 31, 1861 | Democratic |
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A. Oakey Hall[6] | January 1, 1862 — December 31, 1868 | Republican |
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Samuel B. Garvin[6] | January 1869 — December 31, 1869 (acting) January 1, 1869 — December 31, 1872 (interim) |
Democratic |
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Benjamin K. Phelps[6] | January 1, 1873 — December 30, 1880 | Republican |
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Daniel G. Rollins[6] | January 3, 1881 — January 10, 1881 (acting) January 10, 1881 — December 31, 1881 (interim) |
Republican |
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John McKeon[6] | January 1, 1882 — November 22, 1883 | Democratic |
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John Vincent[6] | November 22, 1883 — November 30, 1883 (acting) | Democratic |
|
Wheeler H. Peckham[6] | November 30, 1883 — December 9, 1883 (interim) | Democratic |
|
Peter B. Olney[6] | December 10, 1883 — December 31, 1884 (interim) | Democratic |
|
Randolph B. Martine[6] | January 1, 1885 — December 31, 1887 | Democratic |
|
John R. Fellows[6] | January 1, 1888 — December 31, 1890 | Democratic |
|
De Lancey Nicoll[6] | January 1, 1891 — December 31, 1893 | Democratic |
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John R. Fellows | January 1, 1894 — December 7, 1896 | Democratic |
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Vernon M. Davis | December 7, 1896 — December 19, 1896 (acting) | Democratic |
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William M.K. Olcott | December 19, 1896 — December 31, 1897 (interim) | Republican |
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Asa Bird Gardiner | January 1, 1898 — December 22, 1900 | Democratic |
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Eugene A. Philbin | December 22, 1900 — December 31, 1901 (interim) | Democratic |
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George W. Schurman | January 1, 1902 (acting) | ||
William T. Jerome | January 2, 1902 — December 31, 1909 | Fusion/Ind. |
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Charles S. Whitman | January 1, 1910 — December 31, 1914 | Republican |
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Charles A. Perkins | January 1915 — December 31, 1915 (interim) | Republican |
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Edward Swann | January 1, 1916 — December 31, 1921 | Democratic |
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Joab H. Banton | January 1, 1922 — December 31, 1929 | Democratic |
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Thomas C. T. Crain | January 1, 1930 — December 31, 1933 | Democratic |
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William C. Dodge | January 1, 1934 — December 31, 1937 | Democratic |
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Thomas E. Dewey | January 1, 1938 — December 31, 1941 | Republican, American Labor, City Fusion[14] |
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Frank S. Hogan | January 1, 1942 — February 5, 1974 | Democratic |
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Richard Kuh | February 5, 1974 — December 31, 1974 (interim) | Democratic |
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Robert M. Morgenthau | January 1, 1975 — December 31, 2009 | Democratic |
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Cyrus Vance, Jr. | January 1, 2010 — incumbent | Democratic |
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In popular culture
The long-running television series Law & Order and its spin-offs depict the prosecution of criminal suspects by lawyers of the New York County District Attorney's office. The District Attorneys depicted in the franchise are Adam Schiff, Nora Lewin, Arthur Branch and Jack McCoy.
References
- 1 2 3 Chester, Alden; Weeks, Lyman Horace; Dougherty, John Hampden (1911). Legal and Judicial History of New York. National Americana Society.
- ↑ Geoffrey Hermalyn and Lloyd Ultan, "Bronx" in The Encyclopedia of New York City (1st edition), edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, New York Historical Society and Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 1995, ISBN 0-300-05536-6, page 140.
- ↑ Except 1901 to 1905, when the D.A.'s term was four years, but two mayors served a two-year term each.
- 1 2 3 4 Werner, Edgar A. (1891). Civil List and Constitutional History of the Colony and State of New York. Albany, N.Y.: Weed, Parsons, and Company. pp. 553–563. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- 1 2 Werner (1891), p. 554. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Werner (1891), p. 558. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ↑ "New-York State Election — Additional Returns State Ticket — City Vote". New York Times. November 10, 1853. p. 8. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ↑ "The State Elections — New-York — The Legislature — Members of Assembly Elected — The Election in the City". New York Times. November 7, 1861. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ↑ "Col. John R. Fellows — Dead The District Attorney Passed Away Yesterday — His Older Son Reached Home Too Late to See His Father in Life — Sketch of Col. Fellows's Career". New York Times. December 8, 1896. p. 8. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ↑ "Favor Vernon M. Davis — Indorsed by Business Men as Col. Fellows's Successor". New York Times. December 12, 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ↑ "Olcott Takes His Office — New District Attorney Sworn In by Justice Pryor — Immediately Reappoints Several Assistant District Attorneys and Announces His Policy for Future Distribution of Patronage". New York Times. December 20, 1896. p. 9. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ↑ "Mr. Schurman Will Act — To Be District Attorney from Midnight Until Justice Jerome Is Sworn In". New York Times. December 31, 1901. p. 14. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ↑ "Mr. Jerome Was Not Sworn In — New York Without an Official District Attorney Yesterday — Justices of the Supreme Court Had All Gone Home When He Was Ready to Take the Oath". New York Times. January 2, 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ↑ "Thomas E. Dewey Is Dead at 68". New York Times. March 17, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ↑ "Hogan, District Attorney 32 Years, Dies". New York Times. April 3, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
Frank S. Hogan, the shy, courteous lawyer who became a legend in 32 years as Manhattan's District Attorney, died yesterday at St. Luke's Hospital. Mr. Hogan was 72 years old and lived at 404 Riverside Drive.