states where chief prosecutors are members of the state attorney general’s

by Karina Kulas Sr. 4 min read

Except for Alaska, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, and New Jersey, in 2001 chief prosecutors were elected. In Alaska, Delaware, and Rhode Island criminal prosecution was the primary responsibility of the State's Attorney General.

How many states elect and appoint their chief prosecutors?

According to a report published in the May 2002 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, 47 states elect their chief prosecutors and three (Alaska, Connecticut, and New Jersey) appoint them.

What states have a governor who appoints the Attorney General?

In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee. The attorney general in Tennessee is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court for an eight-year term.

How many attorneys are in the Attorney General's Office?

This can be because the number of divisions and support staff within the office varies widely from state to state. In Nebraska, the attorney general's office employs about 100 attorneys and support staff, while in California, the office employs over 1,100 attorneys alone.

How are attorneys general chosen?

Others are appointed by either the governor, state legislature or state supreme court. Attorneys general are chosen in four different ways; they are either popularly elected or appointed by the governor, the state legislature, or the state supreme court.

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Does each state have a chief prosecutor?

You asked how many states elect their chief prosecutors. According to a report published in the May 2002 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, 47 states elect their chief prosecutors and three (Alaska, Connecticut, and New Jersey) appoint them.

Does each state have a ag?

43 states have an elected attorney general. Elected attorneys general serve a four-year term, except in Vermont, where the term is two years. Seven states do not popularly elect an attorney general. In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee.

How many Ausas are there?

93 United States AttorneysThere are currently 93 United States Attorneys: one for each of the 94 federal judicial districts, except for Guam and the Northern Marianas, where a single U.S. Attorney serves both districts.

How many prosecutors are there in the United States?

The 94 U.S. attorneys and nearly 2,000 assistant federal prosecutors aggressively investigate violations of federal laws, such as white‐collar crime, drug trafficking, and public corruption.

What state is number 1 in Agriculture?

U.S. agricultural production occurs in each of the 50 States In terms of sales value, California leads the country as the largest producer of agricultural products (crops and livestock), accounting for almost 11 percent of the national total, based on the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

What state produces the most food in the United States?

CaliforniaCalifornia ranks first in the United States for agricultural cash receipts followed by Iowa, Texas, Nebraska and Illinois.

Does Washington DC have a district attorney?

Therefore, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia serves as both the federal prosecutor (as in the other 92 U.S. Attorneys' offices) and as the local district attorney....United States Attorney for the District of ColumbiaAppointerThe President with Senate advice and consent3 more rows

How many state attorneys are there in Florida?

20 State AttorneysThere are 20 State Attorneys in the State of Florida representing 20 judicial circuits. For more information about each of the circuits, visit Florida's State Attorneys.

How many US attorneys are there in New York?

Below is a listing of current United States Attorneys for all 94 districts....U.S. Attorneys Listing.DistrictUnited States AttorneyNew York, EasternBreon S. Peace *New York, NorthernCarla B. Freedman *New York, SouthernDamian Williams *New York, WesternTrini E. Ross *89 more rows

Who is the state attorney of Florida?

Ashley Moody (Republican Party)Florida / Attorney generalAshley Brooke Moody is an American attorney and politician serving as the Florida attorney general since January 2019. Wikipedia

What is the title given to the state's chief legal officer?

Subject to the powers and duties of the Governor, the Attorney General shall be the chief law officer of the State. It shall be the duty of the Attorney General to see that the laws of the State are uniformly and adequately enforced.

Who is the district attorney in Texas?

Stacey M. Soule, State Prosecuting Attorney.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the federal district, or of any of the territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those of the United States Department of Justice .

How long does an attorney general serve?

Elected attorneys general serve a four-year term, except in Vermont, where the term is two years. Seven states do not popularly elect an attorney general. In Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming, the attorney general is a gubernatorial appointee. The attorney general in Tennessee is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court ...

How many terms can an attorney general serve in Puerto Rico?

Many states have passed term limits limiting the selection to 2 consecutive terms (9 states); 2 terms maximum (4 states), but 33 states still have no term limits.

Who is the Chief Assistant Prosecutor of Cleveland?

Mayor Frank G. Jackson swore in Aqueelah A. Jordan as Chief Assistant Prosecutor on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Jordan previously served as an Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor. In that position, Jordan worked in the Juvenile Division, General Felony Unit and was promoted to the Major Trial Unit in 2016. Prior to that position, she was a member of the City of Cleveland Municipal Court Interim Mediation Coordinator.

Who is the prosecutor for Pend Oreille County?

Prior to joining the Pend Oreille County Prosecutor’s Office in 2006, she served three years as a deputy prosecutor in Okanogan County and served as a special deputy prosecutor for Lincoln County.

Who was the first black president of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association?

Dewayne was the first black president for the Mississippi Prosecutors Association which is an organization that advocates and lobbies on behalf of all city, county, and state prosecutors in Mississippi. He has been a member of the board of directors for the Mississippi Prosecutors Association since 2007.

Who is the district attorney for the 4th district of Mississippi?

W. Dewayne Richardson is the District Attorney for the Fourth Circuit Court District of Mississippi. He was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta in Indianola, Mississippi by two lifelong educators and community leaders John and Annie Richardson. He holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from Tougaloo College and a Juris Doctorate degree from Mississippi College School of Law both in Jackson, MS. As Richardson’s track record attests, he has always believed in the administration of justice, seeking strict punishments for those who violate the law. Richardson’s office continuously supports the rights of Victims in the Fourth District and the entire State of Mississippi. Dewayne Richardson joined the District Attorney’s office in 2003 as an Assistant District Attorney for the Fourth District. Dewayne immediately jumped into the prosecution of crimes ranging from drug offenses to capital murder. In 2005 Richardson began and has represented law enforcement agencies in the seizing and collection of property and currency that were the products of illegal drug trafficking.

Who is the District Attorney of Bronx County?

Darcel Denise Clark became the 13th District Attorney for Bronx County on January 1, 2016. She is the first woman in that position and the first African-American woman to be elected a District Attorney in New York State.

Who is the 67th Attorney General of New York?

Letitia “Tish” James is the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York. With decades of work, she is an experienced attorney and public servant with a long record of accomplishments. She is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General.

Who is the Suffolk County District Attorney?

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins is the chief law enforcement official for Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Massachusetts, and oversees an office of approximately 300 people handling approximately 35,000 new cases each year. She took office on Jan. 2, 2019, as Suffolk County’s 16th district attorney, the first woman to be elected to that position in Suffolk County history, and the first woman of color ever to serve as a Massachusetts district attorney.

How many states elect their Attorney General?

Forty-three states publicly elect their attorneys general, reinforcing the office's relationship with, and direct accountability to, the people, in contrast with the Kings Attorneys of the past, whose singular service to their version of governors must have left those being governed wanting.

How are Attorney Generals chosen?

Attorneys general are chosen in four different ways; they are either popularly elected or appointed by the governor, the state legislature, or the state supreme court. The office is elective in 43 states and chosen by a state government organ in seven.

What are the criticisms of the Attorney General?

Among the chief criticisms of the office is that state attorneys general have strayed from their traditional defense-based lawyer role to assume a more proactive and political posture, often in ways that overstep the legal authority of the office and/or what would be historically recognized as the limits of institutional etiquette. In some cases, attorneys general look inward to test the bounds of their authority through involvement in state legislative matters, or by refusing to uphold state laws which they find to be in violation of an alternate, overarching ideological code, such as Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane 's stated refusal to enforce Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage. Other times, AGs turn outward to reinterpret their function: In recent years, a number of cases have arisen where state attorneys general mounted coordinated efforts to challenge laws passed by the United States Congress or to exert influence over the outcome of pending federal legislation. The most prominent of these cases is the State Attorneys General Against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which saw 26 Republican AGs team up to instigate a lawsuit against the federal government following Congress' passage of President Obama's health care reform bill.

How many states have no law degree requirements?

Considering the myriad legal responsibilities carried by state attorneys general, it may surprise you to discover that a whopping 19 states have no set statutory or constitutional provisions requiring an individual to hold a law degree, or have a valid license to practice law, in order to serve in the office of attorney general.

How many states have a state resident requirement for an attorney general?

1, Oklahoma, sets the limit at 31. 1, Colorado, sets the limit at 27. 1, Mississippi, sets the limit at 26. State Citizen. 43 states have a formal provision stating an attorney general must be a state resident, while 7 do not have a formal provision. Of the 43 states, 24 specify the number of years and 19 do not.

What is the job of an attorney general?

The primary job of a state attorney general is to serve as chief legal adviser to the agencies and legislative organs that make up his or her state's government, in addition to the citizens residing within the state. It is this last common aspect of the role, ...

How many states have a qualified voter?

Qualified Voter. Thirty states have a formal provision stating an attorney general must be a qualified voter, while 20 do not have a formal provision. Of the 30 states, only 1, Oklahoma, specifies the number of years and 29 do not. Juris Doctor.

When will the Chief State Attorney's job be posted?

According to the Criminal Justice Commission, the state will post the Chief State’s Attorney job description and start seeking applicants for the position on October 22. Until the Commission chooses a new Chief State’s Attorney, the state will have an interim person in the job.

Who can assign police violence investigations solely to prosecutors who shared those values?

A Chief State’s Attorney committed to racial justice and police accountability could choose to assign police violence investigations solely to prosecutors who shared those values, and they could choose not to assign those cases to prosecutors who are unwilling to seek justice for people who were killed by police.

What is a DA in Connecticut?

In other states, prosecutors are usually called “district attorneys,” or “DA’s.”. The Chief State’s Attorney is the most powerful prosecutor in Connecticut, because they can create a state where prosecutors’ budgets, policies, and lobbying align to prioritize strong communities and racial justice instead of incarceration and the status quo.

What is the Division of Criminal Justice?

The Division of Criminal Justice sets the tone and standards for all prosecutors statewide. They could establish, for example, guidelines and rules for prosecutors’ behavior – things like whether to pursue cases against people for marijuana-related offenses, or the criteria for deciding whether to prosecute police who hurt or kill people. ...

What can a new state attorney do?

A new Chief State’s Attorney could instead vocally, powerfully support policies to increase safety by decreasing incarceration and racism, like a bill to prevent discrimination against people on the basis of their record of arrest or conviction, or a bill to create meaningful accountability for prosecutors.

Is the Chief State Attorney a criminal?

The Chief State’s Attorney is not Connecticut’s criminal litigator-in-chief. They rarely argue cases in a courtroom (more on that later). They are not the state’s Attorney General, an elected position that represents the state in civil matters and has no criminal jurisdiction. The Chief State’s Attorney is not elected, ...

Does the Chief State Attorney have a line level prosecutor?

The state’s 13 judicial districts each have state’s attorneys who run day-to-day operations in their districts, so the Chief State’s Attorney is not supervising line-level prosecutors. Contrary to what some people might think, the Chief State’s Attorney has some power to encourage each judicial district to adopt decarceration policies.

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Current Officeholders

  • Political parties
    The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties pertaining to the state executive office of attorney general. For other state executive offices, click here.
  • List of Current Attorneys General
    Note:If an office becomes vacant, it will appear in a separate table below the list of current officeholders. List of All Current State Attorneys General in the United States:
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Qualifications

  • Qualifications for the office of attorney general vary widely from state to state. Minimum age 35 states have a formal provision specifying minimum age, while 15 have no formal provision. Of the 35 states: 1. 7 designate an officeholder must be at least 30 years of age. (FL, ID, KY, NM, NY, PA and VA) 2. 10 require a minimum age of 25. (AL, AZ, GA, IL, LA, MT, NV, ND, UT and WV) 3. 13 re…
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Elected vs. Appointed

  • Attorneys general are chosen in four different ways; they are either popularly elected or appointed by the governor, the state legislature, or the state supreme court. The office is elective in 43 states and chosen by a state government organ in seven. The attorney general is appointed by the governor in five states: Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, ...
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Budgets and Official Compensation

  • Budget
    The difference in budgets for the offices across the states reaches $735,982,631. Nebraska has the smallest budget, spending only $5,795,369 a year on the attorney general's office, while Californiaspends the most with a budget of $741,778,000. This can be because the number of di…
  • Salary
    While the salaries also differ, they do not necessarily coincide with the budgets. While Oregon is on our top five highest budgets chart, the attorney general has the second lowest salary, at $77,200. In fact, of the top five highest budgets, only Washingtonhas a compensation also ranke…
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Commentary

  • Among the chief criticisms of the office is that state attorneys general have strayed from their traditional defense-based lawyer role to assume a more proactive and political posture, often in ways that overstep the legal authority of the office and/or what would be historically recognized as the limits of institutional etiquette. In some cases, attorneys general look inward to test the b…
See more on ballotpedia.org

See Also

External Links

  1. Website of the National Association of Attorneys General
  2. The Council of State Governments,"Book of States: Table 4.19 Attorneys General 2013," accessed November 2, 2013
  3. The Council of State Governments,"Attorneys General: Valuing Privacy in the Digital Age," July 1, 2013
  1. Website of the National Association of Attorneys General
  2. The Council of State Governments,"Book of States: Table 4.19 Attorneys General 2013," accessed November 2, 2013
  3. The Council of State Governments,"Attorneys General: Valuing Privacy in the Digital Age," July 1, 2013
  4. The Council of State Governments,"Attorneys General: Pillars of Hope: Attorneys General Unite Against Human Trafficking," July 2, 2012