Hawaii's first Attorney General was John Ricord who was appointed by Kamehameha III on March 9, 1844. Ricord was the first lawyer to arrive in Hawaii. He was an advisor to the Crown as well as the Crown's defender and prosecutor. Ricord wrote the Organic Acts of 1845-46 that organized the Hawaiian Kingdom's government.
The Office of Attorney General of Hawaii was established in Hawaii Statute Laws, 1845-46 [vol. 1, 1846 ed.] p. 9). These Laws were written by Ricord. [Open Access LLMC Link: http://www.llmc.com/OpenAccess/docDisplay5.aspx?textid=55643325] Ricord left Hawaii in 1847 and the Office of Attorney General was vacant until Aug. 26, 1862, when Kamehameha IV appointed Charles Coffin Harris.
Hawaii Session Laws of 1862, p. 14, provided an Act for the Appointment of an Attorney General by the King and that the Attorney General should report to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court annually on or before the first Monday in January. This law was repealed in 1866. [Open Access LLMC Link: http://www.llmc.com/OpenAccess/docDisplay5.aspx?textid=25749880]
Article 42 of the 1864 Constitution, and Article 41 of the 1887 Constitution provided for the Attorney General as a member of the King's Cabinet.
Hawaii Session Laws of 1866, pp. 16-18 defined the duties of the Attorney General. Section 7 of this Act concerns opinions. This law was repealed in 1884. [Open Access LLMC Link: http://www.llmc.com/OpenAccess/docDisplay5.aspx?textid=26345265]
Hawaii Session Laws of 1868, p. 10 transferred supervision of police and executive officers of the law from the Minister of the Interior to the Attorney General. [Open Access LLMC Link: http://www.llmc.com/OpenAccess/docDisplay5.aspx?textid=25683810]
| Year | AG Salary | Dept. Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 1845 | $1,400 |
Department not formed. |
| 1862 | $5,000 |
Department not formed; Part of Judiciary Department. |
| 1864 | $8,000 |
Department not formed; Part of Department of Law. |
| 1866 | $10,000 |
Department not formed; Part of Department of Law. |
| 1868 | $10,000 |
$94,040 |
| 1870 | $10,000 |
$94,500 |
| 1872 | $10,000 |
$97,208 |
| 1874 | $8,000 |
$99,332 |
| 1876 | $8,000 |
$98,716 |
| 1878 | $10,000 |
$129,508 |
| 1880 | $12,000 |
$166,200 |
| 1882 | $12,000 |
$319,300 |
| 1884 | $12,000 |
$282,720 |
| 1886 | $12,000 |
$290,366 |
| 1888 | $10,000 |
$268,680 |
| 1890 | $10,000 |
$407,054 |
| 1892 | $9,600 |
$400,260 |
| Name | Time in Office |
|---|---|
| John Ricord | March 9, 1844 - May 17, 1847 (Kamehameha III) |
| Charles Coffin Harris |
Aug. 26, 1862 - Dec. 21, 1865 (Kamehameha IV) Acting: March 26 - Sept. 11, 1866 |
| Stephen Henry Phillips | Sept. 12, 1866 - Jan. 10, 1873 (Kamehameha V) |
| Albert Francis Judd | Jan. 13, 1873 - Feb. 17, 1874 (Lunalilo d. Feb. 3, 1874; Kalakaua reign Feb. 12, 1874) |
| Alfred S. Hartwell | Feb. 18, 1874 - May 28, 1874 (Kalakaua) |
| Richard H. Stanley | May 28, 1874 - Nov. 5, 1875 (Kalakaua) |
| John Smith Walker (ad interim) | Nov. 5, 1875 - Feb. 15, 1876 (Kalakaua) |
| William Richards Castle | Feb. 15, 1876 - Dec. 5, 1876 (Kalakaua) |
| Alfred S. Hartwell | Dec. 5, 1876 - July 3, 1878 (Kalakaua) |
| Edward Preston | July 3, 1878 - Aug. 14, 1880 (Kalakaua) |
| W. Claude Jones | Aug. 14, 1880 - Sept. 27, 1880 (Kalakaua) |
| John Smith Walker (ad interim) | Sept. 27, 1880 - Nov. 29, 1880 (Kalakaua) |
| William Nevins Armstrong |
Nov. 29, 1880 - May 19, 1882 (Kalakaua) Henry A.P. Carter (acting) Jan. 17, 1881 - Nov. 5, 1881 |
| Edward Preston | May 19, 1882 - May 14, 1883 (Kalakaua) |
| Walter M. Gibson (Acting) | May 14, 1883 - Dec. 14, 1883 (Kalakaua) |
| Paul Neumann |
Dec. 15, 1883 - June 30, 1886 (Kalakaua) Walter M. Gibson (acting) Sept. 13, 1884 - Aug. 3, 1885 |
| John T. Dare | July 1, 1886 - Oct. 13, 1886 (Kalakaua) |
| John Lot Kaulukou | Oct. 13, 1886 - Oct. 23, 1886 (Kalakaua) |
| Luther Aholo (ad interim) | Oct. 23, 1886 - Nov. 14, 1886 (Kalakaua) |
| Antone Rosa | Nov. 15, 1886 - June 28, 1887 (Kalakaua) |
| Clarence W. Ashford |
July 1, 1887 - June 14, 1890 (Kalakaua) Lorrin A. Thurston (acting) Nov. 22, 1889 |
| Arthur P. Peterson | June 17, 1890 - Feb. 25, 1891 (Kalakaua) |
| William Austin Whiting | Feb. 25, 1891 - July 27, 1892 (Liliuokilani) |
| Herman A. Widemann (ad interim) | July 27, 1892 - Aug. 29, 1892 (Liliuokilani) |
| Paul Neumann | Aug. 29, 1892 - Oct. 17, 1892 (Liliuokilani) |
| Charles F. Creighton | Nov. 1, 1892 - Nov. 8, 1892 (Liliuokilani) |
| Cecil Brown | Nov. 8, 1892 - Jan. 12, 1893 (Liliuokilani) |
| Arthur P. Peterson | Jan. 12, 1893 - Jan. 17, 1893 (Liliuokilani) |