what does the pennsylvania attorney general do

Who is the Attorney General of Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980. The current Attorney General is Democrat Josh Shapiro .

What is the role of the Attorney General?

The Attorney General represents the commonwealth in all actions brought by or against the commonwealth and reviews all proposed rules and regulations by commonwealth agencies.

How many terms can an attorney general serve in Pennsylvania?

The attorney general is elected in presidential election years and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms in office. Pennsylvania has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

What does the New Jersey attorney general look for?

In addition to investigating criminal operations, the attorney general’s office looks into scams targeting seniors, violations of the state’s clean air and water laws and evaluates whether mergers break antitrust laws. On April 26, voters in both parties will have a choice for attorney general.

What is the role of the PA Attorney General?

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania is an elected constitutional office in the executive branch of the Pennsylvania state government. He or she serves as the chief law enforcement officer of Pennsylvania and represents the state and its agencies in any action brought by or against them.

What does the US Attorney General investigate?

The Attorney General's responsibilities include safeguarding Californians from harm and promoting community safety, preserving California's spectacular natural resources, enforcing civil rights laws, and helping victims of identity theft, mortgage-related fraud, illegal business practices, and other consumer crimes.

How important is the attorney general?

The attorney general ensures the state's laws are followed and defends challenges to state law in court. The elected official oversees the California Department of Justice, which has over 4,500 employees and is one of the largest agencies in the state.

Who oversees the FBI?

The FBI Director is appointed for a single 10-year term by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The FBI is an agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ), and thus the Director reports to the Attorney General of the United States. J.

How many employees does Selber have?

As head of the Criminal Division, Selber will oversee 436 employees and an array of law enforcement actions, including the Attorney General’s efforts to combat the heroin and opioid crisis in Pennsylvania.

What are the duties of the Attorney General?

As provided by the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, the fundamental duties of the Attorney General are: To be the Commonwealth’s chief law enforcement officer charged with the responsibility for the prosecution of organized crime and public corruption.

What is the job of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania?

The Attorney General is Pennsylvania’s top law enforcement official, with a wide range of responsibilities to protect and serve the citizens and agencies of the Commonwealth. The Attorney General is served by a staff of several hundred prosecutors, attorneys, investigators, agents and support staff in offices across the state, divided into four sections: the Criminal Law Division, the Public Protection Division, the Civil Division and the Operations Division.

When was the Attorney General created?

The position of Attorney General was created in 1643, before the arrival of English Common Law, as an office within government of the area known as New Sweden. Appointees were selected by the King of Sweden.

When was the Attorney General of Pennsylvania elected?

At the primary election of 1978, Pennsylvania voters approved a Constitutional amendment providing for the election of an Attorney General effective with the general election of 1980.

Who is Michelle Henry?

Michelle Henry, a 20-year veteran prosecutor, is First Deputy Attorney General, responsible for overseeing all legal, criminal and civil matters in the Office of Attorney General.

Who is Jennifer Selber?

Jennifer Selber, a career prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, is the Executive Deputy Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division. Selber served as chief of the Homicide Unit in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she oversaw all homicide investigations and tried cases as well.

SCAM ALERTS

Protecting consumers and combating scams is a top priority of the Office of Attorney General. It’s important for Pennsylvanians to know what schemes are out there – so they can avoid getting scammed and help our Office protect other consumers.

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

The Office of Public Engagement offers a number of free educational programs to help school personnel, students, parents and the community empower Pennsylvanians with knowledge to keep them safe and to make good decisions.

ONLINE PROGRAMMING

We would love to joing your online classroom and give a presentation today. Here are a few examples of our available presentations.

How long does the Attorney General of the Commonwealth serve?

An Attorney General shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the Commonwealth on the day the general election is held for the Auditor General and State Treasurer; he shall hold his office during four years from the third Tuesday of January next ensuing his election and shall not be eligible to serve continuously for more than two successive terms; he shall be the chief law officer of the Commonwealth and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be imposed by law.

What is the job of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania?

He or she serves as the chief law enforcement officer of Pennsylvania and represents the state and its agencies in any action brought by or against them. The attorney general is responsible for collecting all debts, ...

What are the divisions of the Attorney General?

As of January 11, 2021, divisions within the Office of the Attorney General included: 1 Criminal Law 2 Public Protection 3 Civil Law 4 Office of Public Engagement

How long does it take for the Pennsylvania governor to appoint a successor?

This nomination must be made to the Pennsylvania State Senate within 90 days of the vacancy. The senate must then take action (confirming or rejecting nomination) within 25 legislative days.

What is the power of the governor in Pennsylvania?

Article IV, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution grants the governor the power to appoint officers to fill vacancies. In the event of a vacancy in the office of attorney general, the governor nominates a successor. This nomination must be made to the Pennsylvania State Senate within 90 days of the vacancy.

Who was the first woman to be elected as an attorney general?

Kane was the first woman and first Democrat to be elected attorney general since it became an elected office in 1980. On November 4, 2008, Tom Corbett won re-election to the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General. He defeated John M. Morganelli (D) and Marakay J. Rogers (L) in the general election.

Who did Kelly run against in 2012?

On November 6, 2012, Kathleen Kane (D) defeated David Freed (R) and Marakay Rogers (L) in the general election.

What is the Stare Decisis?

In many cases, the Attorney General Pennsylvania will employ the legal ideology of ‘Stare Decisis’ with regard to appellate hearings requested within the State of Pennsylvania ; Stare Decisis facilitates a hierarchy with regard to legal venue, within which the process of appeals is determined for potential hearings

What is the office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania?

The Attorney General Pennsylvania is an independent office headed by the elected individual. The office is responsible for prosecuting crimes that were originally prosecuted by the state, including all acts of organized crime, public corruption and consumer protection issues.

Where did William Ryan graduate from?

Ryan is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, Ryan earned his J.D. from the Villanova University Law School. William Ryan assumed officer of Attorney General Pennsylvania when Tom Corbett resigned the post to take office as the state’s Governor. Before assuming office, Ryan was first deputy ...

Where is the Attorney General's Office in Pennsylvania?

The Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General is located on the 16th Floor of Strawberry Square in Harrisburg, PA 17120. The Office may be reached by phone at 717-787-3391 and by fax at 717-787-8242. If you need legal advice and assistance, contact Pennsylvania lawyers.

Who represents the state in all actions brought by or against the state?

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania represents the state in all actions brought by or against the state; the Attorney General Pennsylvania will also review all proposed rules and regulations by the state’s various government agencies.

What is the Roe v Wade ruling?

This was the 1992 landmark abortion ruling that upheld the basic tenet of Roe v. Wade that a woman has the right to an abortion. It established a new “undue burden” test, which struck down part of the Pennsylvania law which required wives to notify their husbands before getting an abortion.

What is an example of public corruption?

An example of a prominent public corruption case the AG’s office was involved in was last year’s discovery that former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed bought thousands of historical artifacts with millions of taxpayer dollars.

What does the Criminal Division do?

The criminal division investigates drug trafficking, child predators (more than 150 were arrested each of the past two years), organized crime and public corruption, according to the office’s 2015 annual report.

How old do you have to be to become an attorney general in Pennsylvania?

To become attorney general, you have to be able to practice law in Pennsylvania, be at least 30 years old and have lived in Pennsylvania for the past seven years (exceptions for politicians and public employees). Of the five candidates, there are two politicians and three with extensive experience as prosecutors.

What is the Attorney General's Office looking into?

In addition to investigating criminal operations, the attorney general’s office looks into scams targeting seniors, violations of the state’s clean air and water laws and evaluates whether mergers break antitrust laws. On April 26, voters in both parties will have a choice for attorney general. Do the voters prefer a candidate with political ...

Who is the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners?

Shapiro is the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and was appointed to be the chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency [PCCD] by Gov. Tom Wolf about a year ago.

Does the Attorney General appear in court?

The attorney general rarely appears in court, but makes key decisions on major cases, assists in local and federal investigations and meets with legislators and constituents on a regular basis, according to Walter Cohen, who served as first deputy attorney general over six years and then as acting attorney general for several months in 1995.

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 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.

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• As of January 11, 2021, divisions within the Office of the Attorney General included: 1. Criminal Law 2. Public Protection 3. Civil Law 4. Office of Public Engagement

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