what does the attorney general of texas do?

What are the duties of the Attorney General in Texas?

What is the role of the Texas Attorney General? The main responsibilities of the Office of the Attorney General are defending the State of Texas and its duly elected laws by providing legal representation to the State, serving the children of Texas through the enforcement of the state’s child support laws, securing justice for Texans, protecting Texans from waste, …

How do you contact Texas Attorney General?

the Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton is the lawyer for the State of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas. To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when …

What is the job of the Attorney General of Texas?

15 rows · The Attorney General of Texas is the chief lawyer and legal officer for the state of Texas. ...

What are the duties of the Attorney General?

The Office of the Attorney General Enforces the Order. When child support payments aren't made, the Office of the Attorney General can take many actions to enforce the court order. These can include court action, license suspension, credit reporting, passport denial and more.

What is the Attorney General of Texas?

The Attorney General is the constitutional, statewide elected official who acts as the attorney for the State of Texas. The Attorney General: 1 enforces state consumer protection laws; 2 collects court-ordered child support; and 3 administers the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund.

What is the state bar of Texas?

The State Bar of Texas is the agency with authority to regulate attorneys in Texas. If you have a complaint about the actions of an attorney, contact the State Bar’s Grievance Committee at (800) 932-1900. I have a complaint against a private business.

How to contact the Attorney General for child support?

For information about child support services, call the Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division at (800) 252-8014 or consult your phone directory for the number to your local office. Information is also available on the Office of the Attorney General Web site at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.

Who has jurisdiction in Texas?

In Texas, the county or district attorney has original jurisdiction to pursue alleged violations of the law. These prosecutors are granted discretion in determining which cases will be prosecuted. The Attorney General has no role or oversight of their decisions.

Can the Attorney General represent private citizens?

By law, the Office of the Attorney General may not represent private citizens in legal disputes . The Lawyer Referral Service at the State Bar of Texas can assist you in contacting an attorney in Texas with expertise relevant to your situation. The Lawyer Referral Service can be reached at (800) 252-9690.

What is the phone number for a small claims court?

The State Bar offers a Lawyer Referral Service at (800) 252-9690.

What is the PUC in Texas?

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) is the agency charged with ensuring that regulated electric and local telephone utilities observe state rules and service standards. Contact the PUC regarding your concerns at (888) 782-8477 or on the Web at www.puc.state.tx.us.

What is the Attorney General of Texas?

14 Footnotes. The Attorney General of Texas is the chief lawyer and legal officer for the state of Texas. According to the Texas Constitution, the attorney general defends the laws and the constitution of the state of Texas, represents the state in litigation, and approves public bond issues.

Who won the 2010 Texas election?

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Texas Attorney General, Click to expand the section. On November 2, 2010, Greg Abbott won re-election to the office of Texas Attorney General. He defeated Barbara Ann Radnofsky (D) and Jon Roland (L) in the general election.

Who did Greg Abbott defeat?

He defeated Barbara Ann Radnofsky (D) and Jon Roland (L) in the general election. Election results via Texas Secretary of State. On November 7, 2006, Greg Abbott won re-election to the office of Texas Attorney General. He defeated David Van Os (D) and Jon Roland (L) in the general election.

What happens when child support isn't paid?

When child support payments aren't made, the Office of the Attorney General can take many actions to enforce the court order.

What is the difference between civil and criminal contempt?

In civil contempt cases, the court will assess a specific number of days and/or a fine for each missed payment. The sentence must be served even if full payment is made. In criminal contempt cases, an obligor is sentenced to jail until he/she complies with the court order.

How many licensing agencies does OAG have?

The OAG works with over 60 licensing agencies and can request that these agencies suspend your drivers, professional and hunting and fishing licenses, if you fail to pay your child support.

Who reports child support?

Credit Bureau Reporting. The Office of the Attorney General is required by law to report the amount of child support owed and the amount paid to the credit reporting agencies.

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 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.

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.

HEROES for MILITARY CHILDREN

Military and veteran families have unique needs when it comes to paternity establishment and child support. The HEROES program is here to help.

Family Violence

If you are a victim or survivor of family violence, we have information to help you pursue child support safely.

Incarcerated Parents

Help is available for parents and family members supporting children during and after a parent's incarceration.

What is the 30.07 sign?

The 30.07 sign (referring to state penal code 30.07) states that a handgun may not be carried openly even by a licensed gun carrier. To do so openly is considered trespassing. Texas is the 45th state to have open carry. In 2017, Abbott signed a bill into law lowering handgun carry license fees.

Where is Greg Abbott from?

Gregory Wayne Abbott was born on November 13, 1957, in Wichita Falls, Texas , of English descent. His mother, Doris Lechristia Jacks Abbott, was a stay at home wife and his father, Calvin Rodger Abbott, was a stockbroker and insurance agent. When he was six years old, they moved to Longview; the family lived in the East Texas city for six years. At the beginning of junior high school, Abbott's family moved to Duncanville. In his sophomore year in high school, his father died of a heart attack; his mother went to work in a real estate office. He graduated from Duncanville High School. He was on the track team in high school. He was in the National Honor Society and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed."

Who is the governor of Texas?

Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair.

Did Abbott support gun control?

As Texas AG, Abbott staunchly opposed gun control legislation. In 2013, Abbott criticized legislation enacted by New York State that strengthened the state's gun laws by expanding an assault weapons ban and creating a high-capacity magazine ban; Abbott also said he would sue if Congress enacted a new gun-control bill. After the law was passed, Abbott's political campaign placed Internet ads to users with Albany and Manhattan ZIP codes suggesting that New York gun owners should move to Texas. The one ad read "Is Gov. Cuomo looking to take your guns?" and the other ad read, "Wanted: Law abiding New York gun owners looking for lower taxes and greater opportunity." The ads linked to a letter on Facebook in which Abbott stated such a move would enable citizens "to keep more of what you earn and use some of that extra money to buy more ammo."

What was the first state to sue Sony for spyware?

In late 2005, Abbott sued Sony BMG. Texas was the first state in the nation to bring legal action against Sony BMG for illegal spyware. The suit is also the first filed under the state's spyware law of 2005. It alleges the company surreptitiously installed the spyware on millions of compact music discs (CDs) that consumers inserted into their computers when they played the CDs, which can compromise the systems. On December 21, 2005, Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG. Abbott says the MediaMax copy protection technology violates the state's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws. He says Sony-BMG offered consumers a licensing agreement when they bought CDs and played them on their computers. In the lawsuit, brought under the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005 and other laws, Abbott alleged that even if consumers reject that agreement, spyware is secretly installed on their computers, posing security risks for music buyers and deceiving Texas purchasers. Sony settled the Texas lawsuit, as well as a similar lawsuit brought by the California Attorney General, for $1.5 million.

When did Austin repeal the camping ban?

In June 2019, the city of Austin introduced an ordinance that repealed a 25-year-old ban on homeless people camping, lying, or sleeping in public. In early October 2019, Abbott sent a widely publicized letter to Austin Mayor Steve Adler criticizing the camping ban repeal and threatened to deploy state resources to combat homelessness.

Who ran for governor in 2001?

Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court in 2001 to seek the position of Lieutenant Governor of Texas. His campaign for Lieutenant Governor had been running for several months when the previous attorney general, John Cornyn, vacated the post to run for the U.S. Senate. He then switched his campaign to the open attorney general's position in 2002. Abbott defeated the Democratic nominee, former Austin mayor and former state senator Kirk Watson, 57 percent to 41 percent. Abbott was sworn in on December 2, 2002, following fellow Republican Cornyn's election to the Senate.