The San Diego City Attorney is an elected official who serves as the chief legal adviser to the City of San Diego. The city attorney is responsible for representing the city government in legal matters and for prosecuting misdemeanor and infractions that occur within city limits. Elected every four years, officeholders may serve up to two terms.[1]
| City Attorney of San Diego | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once |
| Inaugural holder | Thomas W. Sutherland |
| Formation | 1850 |
| Salary | $193,648 annually |
| Website | Office of the City Attorney |
The current city attorney is Mara Elliott, who has held the office since 2016.[2] She is the first woman and the first Latina to hold the office.[3]
The most recent election was held in November 2024 in which Chief Deputy City Attorney Heather Ferbert defeated California state assemblymember Brian Maienschein.[4] Ferbert will take office in December 2024.
Composition
editThe San Diego City Attorney's Office has four divisions.
- Civil Advisory Division
- Civil Litigation Division
- Criminal Division
- Community Justice Division[5]
List of City Attorneys
editThe following list shows San Diego City Attorneys since the incorporation of the City of San Diego.[6][7][8] From 1852 until 1888 the City government was dissolved due to a bankruptcy and there was no official city attorney.[9]
| City Attorney | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas W. Sutherland | 1850 | 1851 |
| James W. Robinson | 1852 | 1852 |
| Harry L. Titus | 1888 | 1888 |
| James P. Goodwin | 1889 | 1890 |
| William H. Fuller | 1891 | 1894 |
| Herbert E. Doolittle | 1895 | 1904 |
| William R. Andrews | 1905 | 1906 |
| George Puterbaugh | 1907 | 1909 |
| William R. Andrews | 1910 | 1913 |
| Terence B. Cosgrove | 1914 | 1919 |
| Shelley J. Higgins | 1919 | 1927 |
| James O'Keefe | 1927 | 1928 |
| Marvin W. Conkling | 1928 | 1931 |
| Frank H. Heskett | 1931 | 1931 |
| Clinton L. Byers | 1931 | 1936 |
| Dayton L. Ault | 1937 | 1941 |
| Jacob Weinberger | 1941 | 1941 |
| Dayton L. Ault | 1941 | 1942 |
| Clarence J. Novotny | 1943 | 1943 |
| Jean F. Du Paul | 1943 | 1961 |
| Alan M. Firestone | 1961 | 1963 |
| Richard J. Curran | 1963 | 1965 |
| Ed Butler | 1965 | 1969 |
| John W. Witt | 1969 | 1996 |
| Casey Gwinn | 1996 | 2004 |
| Mike Aguirre | 2004 | 2008 |
| Jan Goldsmith | 2008 | 2016 |
| Mara Elliott | 2016 | Incumbent |
References
edit- ^ "How To Run For Office Details | City of San Diego Official Website". www.sandiego.gov.
- ^ "Office of the City Attorney | City of San Diego Official Website". www.sandiego.gov.
- ^ "Mara Elliott and Women Trailblazers in San Diego". San Diego County Democratic Party. 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
- ^ "Ferbert secures victory over Maienschein in San Diego City Attorney race". ABC 10 News San Diego. 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "City Attorney Divisions | City of San Diego Official Website". www.sandiego.gov.
- ^ Smythe, William Ellworth (1907). History of San Diego, 1542-1908. History Co. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ McGrew, Clarence Alan (1922). City of San Diego and San Diego County: The Birthplace of California, Volume 1. American Historical Society. p. 426. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "ELECTION HISTORY – CITY ATTORNEY, CITY OF SAN DIEGO" (PDF). City of San Diego. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "A History of San Diego Government | City of San Diego Official Website". www.sandiego.gov. City of San Diego. Retrieved April 22, 2017.