what does the attorney general do in flordia

by Hannah Zulauf III 6 min read

What is the role of the Attorney General of Florida?

The Attorney General is the statewide elected official directed by the Florida Constitution to serve as the chief legal officer for the State of Florida. The Attorney General is responsible for protecting Florida consumers from various types of fraud and enforcing the state's antitrust laws.

What is the main purpose of the Attorney General?

Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People's Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor.

Does Florida have an Attorney General?

The current Attorney General is Ashley Moody. The Florida Constitution designates the Attorney General as the chief state legal officer. The constitution requires the Attorney General to be elected every four years and be at least 30 years old.

What are the powers of Attorney General?

(1) He gives advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, which are referred or assigned to him by the president. (2) He performs such other duties of a legal character that are referred or assigned to him by the president.

Who can remove the attorney general?

the PresidentHe can be removed by the President at any time. He can quit by submitting his resignation only to the President. Since he is appointed by the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers, conventionally he is removed when the council is dissolved or replaced.

How much does the Attorney General of Florida make?

State executive salariesOffice and current officialSalaryAttorney General of Florida Ashley B. MoodyFlorida Secretary of State Cord ByrdFlorida Commissioner of Insurance Regulation David Altmaier$133,158Florida Public Service Commission Gary Clark$131,0368 more rows

What's the difference between attorney and lawyer?

Attorney vs Lawyer: Comparing Definitions Lawyers are people who have gone to law school and often may have taken and passed the bar exam. Attorney has French origins, and stems from a word meaning to act on the behalf of others. The term attorney is an abbreviated form of the formal title 'attorney at law'.

How do I file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General?

Citizens with general inquiries, or who want to file a consumer complaint, should contact the Office of Citizens Services by calling (866) 966-7226, (850) 414-3990 or filing out an online form here.

What is the role of the Attorney General of Florida?

The Attorney General is responsible for protecting Florida consumers from various types of fraud and enforcing the state’s antitrust laws.

What is the Attorney General's Office?

Within the Attorney General’s Office is the Office of Statewide Prosecution that targets widespread criminal activities throughout Florida including identity theft, drug trafficking and gang activity. The Attorney General's Office also conducts various programs to assist victims of crime.

Who defends the constitutionality of statutes duly enacted by the Legislature?

The Attorney General defends the constitutionality of statutes duly enacted by the Legislature and is authorized to issue formal legal opinions at the request of various public officials on questions relating to the application of state law.

What is the Florida Attorney General?

The Florida attorney general is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state and is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs. The office is one of Florida's three elected state cabinet posts, along with the chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.

Can the Attorney General of Florida be impeached?

The Florida attorney general can be impeached for committing a "misdemeanor in office" by the State House of Representatives, and then convicted and thereby removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the State Senate .

Be A Florida Hero

Attorney General Ashley Moody launched a nationwide law enforcement recruitment initiative to encourage job seekers to pursue law enforcement careers in Florida. BeAFloridaHero.com is the first-of-its-kind, one-stop shop for anyone seeking to protect and serve.

Scams at a Glance: Cryptocurrency Scams

Attorney General Moody has released a new resource to help Floridians avoid falling victim to cryptocurrency scams. Scams at a Glance: Cryptocurrency Scams provides information about cryptocurrency as well as the different types of scams to watch out for.

Hearts 4 Heroes Challenge

This February, to show appreciation for law enforcement, Attorney General Moody is challenging Floridians through social media to show their love for law enforcement.

Historic Opioid Litigation

Attorney General Moody has secured billions in nationwide, historic settlement agreements, through aggressive litigation and negotiation efforts to hold major corporations responsible for distributing, manufacturing and marketing deadly opioids fueling the deadly epidemic.

Senior Protection Team

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Senior Protection Team is an intra-agency group of attorneys and investigators dedicated to stopping senior fraud and abuse.

Back the Blue

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Back the Blue Campaign awards law enforcement officers, citizens and organizations going above and beyond to support law enforcement.

Dose of Reality Florida

Attorney General Ashley Moody launched a new website seeking to educate Floridians about the dangers of misusing prescription painkillers and other opioids such as heroin and fentanyl.

What is the phone number for the Attorney General's Office of Civil Rights?

Those who feel that they are the victims of discriminatory practices should call the Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights at (954) 712-4607. If the office is unable to sufficiently assist, a referral to the appropriate source will be offered. 19. I do not know all of the details on the products that I buy.

What is the Florida Department of Financial Services?

The Florida Department of Financial Services’ is the state agency charged with regulating the state’s insurance industry. Within that Department is the Division of Consumer Services that provides public outreach and serves as a mediator in disputes between insurance companies and consumers.

What is the Florida Constitution?

The Florida Constitution provides the Florida Legislature with sole authority to pass, and amend, the statutes. The Constitution provides the Attorney General with authority to investigate and prosecute violations of duly enacted statutes.

What is the Florida Department of Revenue's phone number?

The Department of Revenue’s toll-free number for child support matters is 1-800-622-5437 (1-800-622-KIDS). This information can be accessed on the web at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/childsupport/phone.html. 9. I am having trouble with my insurance company.

What is the number to call for identity theft in Florida?

If you are a victim of this crime, you are urged to call the Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM, or 1-866-966-7226.

Can the Attorney General represent a private person in a legal dispute?

By law, the Office of the Attorney General may not represent private citizens in legal disputes. The Lawyer Referral Service may be reached at 1-800-342-8011 (FL only) or 1-800-342-8060 (National). The Florida Bar’s web site address is http://floridabar.com. 2. I have a complaint against a private business.

Is Florida open government?

Florida has one of the most progressive open government laws in the country. Known as the Government in the Sunshine Law, the statute provides that, except in rare circumstances, the public has access to meetings between elected officials and the records of government entities. The Attorney General’s Office is a leading source for interpretation ...

What is the role of an attorney general?

As chief legal officers of the states, commonwealths, District of Columbia, and territories of the United States, the role of an attorney general is to serve as counselor to state government agencies and legislatures, and as a representative of the public interest.

What is the role of a public advocate?

Issuing formal opinions to state agencies. Acting as public advocates in areas such as child support enforcement, consumer protections, antitrust and utility regulation. Proposing legislation. Enforcing federal and state environmental laws. Representing the state and state agencies before the state and federal courts.

What is the People's Lawyer podcast?

The People’s Lawyer is a biweekly podcast from NAAG that explores the role of state and territory attorneys general as chief legal officers and their work protecting the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

Who won the Florida primary?

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Florida. Sean Shaw defeated Ryan Torrens in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Florida on August 28, 2018.

When is the next Florida election?

Florida Attorney General election, 2022. Florida is holding an election for attorney general on November 8, 2022. There are no official candidates yet for this election.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

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Current Officeholder

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The current attorney general is Ashley B. Moody, a Republicanfirst elected in 2018. Before becoming attorney general, Moody was a judge for the Florida 13th Circuit Courtfrom 2007 to 2017.
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Authority

  • The office of attorney general is established in the Article IV, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution. Florida Constitution, Article IV, Section 4
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Qualifications

  • Per Article IV, Section 5 of the state constitution, the attorney general must be a qualified elector at least 30 years old and have resided in Floridafor at least seven years prior to election. The attorney general is also required to have been a member of the state bar for five years. Florida Constitution, Article IV, Section 5
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Elections

  • Attorneys general are elected to four-year terms in federal midterm election years (e.g. 2014, 2018, 2022, etc.) and assume office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the January following their election. Thus, January 4, 2011, and January 6, 2015, were inauguration days.
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Vacancies

  • The Governor of Floridafills a vacancy in any, "state, district, or county office," by appointing a replacement to serve out the remainder of the term. If there are more than 28 months left remaining in the term when the vacancy occurs, the replacement appointee serves until the first Tuesday after the first Monday following the next general election.
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Divisions

  • As of January 7, 2021, the Florida Attorney General's Office is divided into the following divisions:
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Historical Officeholders

  • Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Attorney General of Florida has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any a…
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Recent News

  • The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Attorney General Florida.These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
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Contact Information

  • Address: Office of Attorney General State of Florida The Capitol PL-01 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050 Telephone Switchboard: 850-414-3300 Citizens Services: 850-414-3990 Florida Relay/TDD: 800-955-8771 Florida Toll Free: 1-866-966-7226
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Overview

The Florida attorney general is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state and is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs.
The office is one of Florida's three elected state cabinet posts, along with the chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner. The current attorney gener…

Election and terms of office

As with other elected statewide offices in Florida, the attorney general is limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms.
The attorney general appoints the Florida solicitor general who serves at his or her pleasure. The current solicitor is Amit Agarwal.
The attorney general is second (behind the lieutenant governor) in the line of succession to the of…

Living former Florida attorneys general

As of May 2022, there are six living former Florida attorneys general, the oldest being James C. Smith (served 1979–1987, born 1940). The most recent attorney general to die was Robert L. Shevin on July 11, 2005 (served 1971–1979, born 1934).
• James C. Smith, 1979–1987
• Bob Butterworth, 1987–2002

See also

• Constitution of Florida
• Florida Cabinet
• Florida Democratic Party
• Republican Party of Florida

External links

• Florida Attorney General official website
• Florida Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
• News and Commentary at FindLaw
• Florida Statutes at Law.Justia.com