Steve Cooley

Steve Cooley
Steve Cooley on August 16, 2010
41st Los Angeles County District Attorney
In office November 7, 2000 – December 3, 2012
Preceded by	Gil Garcetti
Succeeded by	Jackie Lacey
Personal details
Born	Stephen Lawrence Cooley (1947-05-01) May 1, 1947 (age 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jana Cooley
Children	2
Alma mater	California State University, Los Angeles USC Gould School of Law
Occupation	Criminal prosecutor
Website	Official website

Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Cooley (born May 1, 1947) is an American politician. He has been a prosecutor for 27 years, and was Los Angeles County District Attorney from 2000 to 2012, in which he defeated incumbent two-term District Attorney Gil Garcetti, a Democrat. Cooley was re-elected in 2004 and 2008.

In 2010, Cooley won the Republican nomination for California Attorney General against John C. Eastman and Tom Harman in the June 8 primary election. Cooley ran against and lost to the Democratic nominee, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, in the November 2 general election. On November 24, 2010, Cooley, who during his campaign said he would have defended Prop 8 in court, lost the election to Harris.

The second of five children, Cooley was born at St. Vincent's Hospital (now St. Vincent's Medical Center) in Los Angeles. His father was an FBI agent and his mother a homemaker. Cooley attended Pater Noster High School in Los Angeles. At California State University, Los Angeles, Cooley served two terms as Student Body President and was selected for membership in Phi Kappa Phi. He was also a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.

In 1970, he was commencement speaker for his graduating class. He entered the University of Southern California Law School and received his Juris Doctor in 1973. That same year he joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Cooley served over seven years as a reserve police officer with LAPD and 27 years as prosecutor.