who is attorney general in usa

by Ethyl Cruickshank 10 min read

Merrick Garland has been the United States attorney general since March 11, 2021. Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General.

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What are the duties of the US Attorney General?

115 rows · The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States.The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. ...

Who is the current Attorney General of the United States?

Aug 23, 2021 · Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was sworn in as the 86 th Attorney General of the United States on March 11, 2021. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department’s 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

What is the salary of the US 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. Select your state to connect to your state attorney general's website.

What is the difference between US attorney and Attorney General?

116 rows · From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to navigation Jump to search. United States Attorney General. Seal of the Department of Justice. Flag of the United States Attorney General. Incumbent. Merrick Garland. since March 11, 2021. United States Department of Justice.

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Who is the current US Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

What is the US Attorney General's role?

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.

Who is the NY state Attorney General?

Letitia James (Working Families Party)New York / Attorney generalLetitia Ann "Tish" James is an American lawyer, activist, and politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party and the current Attorney General of New York, having won the 2018 election to succeed appointed Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Wikipedia

How is U.S. Attorney General chosen?

the president of the United StatesThe attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

Who is the head of the Department of Justice?

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government .The Attorney General is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government.

Who is the acting attorney general of the DOJ?

On September 17, President Bush announced that Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Civil Division Peter Keisler would become acting attorney general, pending a permanent appointment of a presidential nominee.

Is the US attorney general elected or appointed?

The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

Is Texas attorney general elected or appointed?

The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor. The office was made elective in 1850 by constitutional amendment. The attorney general is elected to a four-year term.

Is the attorney general called general?

In the federal government of the United States, the Attorney General is a member of the Cabinet and, as head of the Department of Justice, is the top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the government. The plural is “Attorneys General” or “Attorneys-General”.

How do you address a state attorney general?

Address the letter appropriately. The salutation of the letter should be: Dear Attorney General (last name). For the Attorney General of a State address the envelop: The Honorable/ (Full name)/Attorney General of (Name of State)/ (Address). The salutation of the letter should read: Dear Attorney General (last name).

How do I contact the Attorney General of the United States?

Messages to the Department of Justice, including the Attorney General, may be sent using this form….The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:

How do you address a letter to a US attorney?

Presidentially appointed United States Attorneys are noted with an asterisk (*) after their name and should be addressed as “The Honorable.” All others should be addressed as “Mr.” or “Ms.” Acting United States Attorneys are designated by a caret sign (^).

How do you address an assistant attorney general in a letter?

Assistant attorney generals are addressed as ‘the Honorable (Full Name)’. —-The salutation is simply: —-–—Dear Mr./Ms.

Why does Barr support the death penalty?

Barr supports the death penalty, arguing that it reduces crime. He advocated a Bush-backed bill that would have expanded the types of crime that could be punished by execution. In a 1991 op-ed in The New York Times, Barr argued that death row inmates' ability to challenge their sentences should be limited to avoid cases dragging on for years: "This lack of finality devastates the criminal justice system. It diminishes the deterrent effect of state criminal laws, saps state prosecutorial resources and continually reopens the wounds of victims and survivors."

What was Barr's first tenure?

During his first tenure as AG, media characterized Barr as "a staunch conservative who rarely hesitates to put his hardline views into action". He was described as affable with a dry, self-deprecating wit. The New York Times described the "central theme" of his tenure to be "his contention that violent crime can be reduced only by expanding Federal and state prisons to jail habitual violent offenders". In an effort to prioritize violent crime, Barr reassigned three hundred FBI agents from counterintelligence work to investigations of gang violence. The New York Times called this move "the largest single manpower shift in the bureau's history".

How much money did Barr give to the NRSC?

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) financially assists Republicans in their Senate election contests; in the seven years from 2009 to 2016, Barr gave six donations to the NRSC totaling $85,400. In a five-month period from October 2018 to February 2019, Barr donated five times (around $10,000 every month) for a total of $51,000. When Barr started donating more frequently to the NRSC, it was uncertain whether then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions would remain in his job. Barr continued donating even after Sessions resigned, and after Trump nominated Barr for Attorney General. The donations stopped after Barr was confirmed by the Senate as Attorney General. NRSC refunded Barr $30,000 before his confirmation. Previously in 2017, Barr had said he felt "prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party."

Where was Donald Barr born?

Early life and education. Barr was born in New York City in 1950. His father, Donald Barr, taught English literature at Columbia University before becoming headmaster of the Dalton School in Manhattan and later the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York, both members of the Ivy Preparatory School League.

Who was the special counsel in the Inslaw case?

In October 1991, Barr appointed then-retired Democratic Chicago judge Nicholas Bua as special counsel in the Inslaw scandal. Bua's 1993 report found the Department of Justice guilty of no wrongdoing in the matter.

Did Barr try to undermine Cohen's conviction?

In the spring of 2019, Barr reportedly attempted to undermine the conviction of Trump fixer Michael Cohen for campaign finance violations, detailed The New York Times in June 2020. Barr reportedly raised doubts multiple times about the validity of the charges against Cohen, including requesting the Office of Legal Counsel to draft a memo with legal arguments which could have helped Cohen's case. Barr's efforts were reportedly stemmed by the prosecutors of the Southern District of New York. Ultimately, Cohen's conviction was not changed.

Why did Barr say Hollywood censors its own movies?

In July 2020, Barr condemned large American tech companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Apple, and Hollywood studios, accusing them of "kowtowing" to the Chinese Communist Party for the sake of profits. He said that "Hollywood now regularly censors its own movies to appease the Chinese Communist Party, the world's most powerful violator of human rights."

Early life and education

Durham was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1975. After graduation, he was a VISTA volunteer for two years (1975–1977) on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana.

Career

After Durham's volunteer work, he became a state prosecutor in Connecticut. From 1977 to 1978, he served as a Deputy Assistant State's Attorney in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney. From 1978 to 1982, Durham served as an Assistant State's Attorney in the New Haven State's Attorney's Office.

Accolades

In November 2011, Durham was included on The New Republic's list of Washington's most powerful, least famous people.

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