Queens County (New York) District Attorney
The Queens County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for Queens County, coterminous with the Borough of Queens, in New York City. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws. (Federal law violations in Queens are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York). The current District Attorney is Richard A. Brown.
History
In a legislative act of February 5, 1796, New York State was divided into seven districts which had each an Assistant Attorney General. Queens County was part of the First District, comprising Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties, as constituted at the time. In 1801, the office of Assistant Attorney General was renamed District Attorney. at the same time New York County was added to the First District. Westchester County was separated from the First District in 1813, and New York County in 1815. In 1818, all then existing 13 districts were broken up, and each county in the State of New York became a separate district.[1]
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 County Court. Under the provisions of the State Constitution of 1846, the office became elective by popular ballot. 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.[2]
Upon the Consolidation of New York City in 1898, Nassau County was separated from Queens County. In case of a vacancy, a D.A. is appointed by the Governor to fill the office temporarily. A new D.A. is then elected at the next annual election in November, always to a full term. From 1847 to 1942, the term length was three years. In November 1942, a D.A. was elected to a one-year term.[3] Beginning at the election of November 1943; the D.A. has been elected to a four-year term.
List of District Attorneys
| District Attorney | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel Lawrence | February 16, 1796 | July 15, 1797 | Dem.-Rep. | died |
| Cadwallader D. Colden | January 16, 1798 | August 19, 1801 | Federalist | |
| Richard Riker | August 19, 1801 | February 13, 1810 | Dem.-Rep. | |
| Cadwallader D. Colden | February 13, 1810 | February 19, 1811 | Federalist | |
| Richard Riker | February 19, 1811 | April 8, 1815 | Dem.-Rep. | |
| Thomas S. Lester | April 8, 1815 | June 12, 1818 | ||
| Eliphalet Wickes | June 12, 1818 | 1821 | Dem.-Rep. | |
| William T. McCoun | 1821 | 1826 | ||
| Benjamin F. Thompson | 1826 | 1836 | ||
| William H. Barroll | May 3, 1836 | 1842 | ||
| Alexander Hadden | 1842 | 1845 | Whig | |
| John G. Lamberson | 1845 | December 31, 1853 | last D.A appointed by the County Court; first D.A. elected by popular ballot in May 1847; total of three terms | |
| William H. Onderdonk | January 1, 1854 | December 31, 1859 | two terms | |
| John J. Armstrong | January 1, 1860 | December 31, 1865 | two terms | |
| Benjamin W. Downing | January 1, 1866 | October 26, 1883 | Democrat | removed from office near the end of his sixth term[4] |
| John Fleming | October 27, 1883 | December 31, 1886 | Democrat | appointed to fill vacancy;[5] then elected |
| Thomas F. McGowan | January 1, 1887 | May 1887 | Democrat | until April 15, also Supervisor of the Town of Newtown; left office on April 30, 1887[6] |
| John Fleming | August 1887 | December 31, 1893 | Democrat | appointed to fill vacancy; then elected twice |
| Daniel Noble | January 1, 1894 | December 31, 1896 | ||
| William J. Youngs | January 1, 1897 | 1898 | Republican | resigned to become Private Secretary to Gov. Theodore Roosevelt |
| George W. Davison | January 2, 1899 | December 31, 1899 | Republican | appointed to fill vacancy[7] |
| John B. Merrill | January 1, 1900 | December 31, 1902 | ||
| George A. Gregg | January 1, 1903 | December 31, 1905 | ||
| Ira G. Darrin | January 1, 1906 | December 31, 1908 | ||
| Fred G. DeWitt | January 1, 1909 | December 31, 1911 | ||
| Matthew J. Smith | January 1, 1912 | December 31, 1914 | ||
| Denis O'Leary | January 1, 1915 | December 31, 1920 | Ind. Dem./Rep. | two terms |
| Dana Wallace | January 1, 1921 | December 31, 1923 | Republican | |
| Richard S. Newcombe | January 1, 1924 | December 31, 1929 | ||
| James T. Hallinan | January 1, 1930 | 1932 | ||
| Charles S. Colden | February 1932 | January 7, 1935 | appointed to fill vacancy; then elected; the appointed as County Judge of Queens[8] | |
| Charles P. Sullivan | January 1935 | December 31, 1951 | appointed to fill vacancy; then elected five times | |
| T. Vincent Quinn | January 1, 1952 | December 31, 1955 | Democrat | |
| Frank D. O'Connor | January 1, 1956 | 1965 | Democrat | during his third term, on November 2, 1965, elected President of the New York City Council |
| Nat H. Hentel | 1966 | December 31, 1966 | Republican | appointed to fill vacancy |
| Thomas J. Mackell | January 1, 1967 | April 23, 1973 | Democrat | resigned during his second term[9] |
| Michael F. Armstrong | May 9, 1973 | December 31, 1973 | appointed to fill vacancy[10] | |
| Nicholas Ferraro | January 1, 1974 | December 31, 1976 | Democrat | on November 1976, elected to the New York Supreme Court |
| John J. Santucci | 1977 | June 1, 1991 | Democrat | appointed to fill vacancy; then elected four times; then resigned[11] |
| Richard A. Brown | June 1, 1991 | incumbent | Democrat | appointed to fill vacancy; then elected several times |
References
- ↑ The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 366f and 379; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- ↑ Courts and Lawyers of New York: A History, 1609-1925 by Alden Chester & Edwin Melvin Williams (The American Historical Society, 1935; Vol. 1, pg. 964)
- ↑ Rules on Queens Election in the New York Times on October 15, 1942 (subscription required)
- ↑ MR. DOWNING REMOVED in the New York Times on October 27, 1883
- ↑ DOWNING DETERMINED TO RUN in the New York Times on October 28, 1883
- ↑ McGowan had appropriated about $19,500 from town funds, and claimed to have lost the money speculating on the stock-exchange. When the shortage became known to his successor in the office of Supervisor, a Republican, he fled to Canada; see LEFT A BIG SHORTAGE in the New York Times on May 2, 1887; and THE OLD SURETIES GOOD in the New York Times on May 3, 1887
- ↑ TWO NEW DISTRICT ATTORNEYS in the New York Times on January 3, 1899
- ↑ COLDEN, BRANCATO NAMED AS JUDGES in the New York Times on January 8, 1935 (subscription required)
- ↑ MACKELL RESIGNS IN FACE OF MOVE TO FORCE HIM OUT in the New York Times on April 24, 1973 (subscription required)
- ↑ Governor Appoints Armstrong as New Queens D.A. in the New York Times on May 10, 1973 (subscription required)
- ↑ Santucci Is Retiring as the Queens District Attorney in the New York Times on May 2, 1991