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Los Angeles County District Attorneys
Past to Present

Los Angeles County District Attorneys, 1850-2017

Los Angeles County District Attorneys, from William C. Ferrell to George Gascón. Some (Thom, Drown, Howard) served more than one non-consecutive term. Los Angeles Almanac graphic.


District Attorney Period in Office
William C. Ferrel 1850-1851
Isaac Ketih Ogier 1851-1852
Kimbal H. Dimmick 1852-1853
Benjamin Eaton 1853-1854
Cameron E. Thom 1854-1857
Ezra Drown 1857-1859
Edward J.C. Kewen 1859-1861
Ezra Drown 1861-1863
Volney E. Howard 1863-1867
Alfred B. Chapman 1867-1869
Cameron E. Thom 1869-1873
Volney E. Howard 1873-1876
Rodney Hudson 1876-1877
Cameron E. Thom 1877-1879
Thomas Brown Bruen 1879-1882
Stephen M. White 1882-1884
George M. Holten 1884-1886
George S. Patton 1886-1887
J.R. Dupuy 1887-1888
Frank P. Kelley 1888-1890
James McLachlan 1890-1892
Henry C. Dillon 1892-1894
John C. Donnel 1894-1898
James C. Rives 1898-1902
J.D. Fredericks 1902-1914
Thomas Lee Woolwins 1914-1923
Asa Keyes 1923-1928
Buron Fitts 1928-1940
John F. Dockweiler 1940-1943
Fred N. Hower 1943-1946
W.E. Simpson 1946-1951
S. Ernest Roll 1951-1956
William B. McKesson 1956-1964
Evelle J. Younger 1964-1971
Joseph P. Busch Jr. 1971-1975
John K. Van De Kamp 1975-1983
Robert Philibosian 1983-1984
Ira Reiner 1984-1992
Gil Garcetti 1992-2000
Steve Cooley 2001-2012
Jackie Lacey* 2012-2020
George Gascón 2020-present

* Jackie Lacey was the first woman and first African American to serve as District Attorney of Los Angeles County.


Los Angeles County District Attorney George S. Patton, who served as such from 1886 to 1887, was the father of General George S. Patton, Jr., who had achieved fame as an American military commander during World War Two.