Attorney General Austin Knudsen Austin Knudsen grew up just outside of Culbertson, in the northeast corner of Montana, where his family has farmed and ranched for five generations. Austin grew up participating in 4-H, raising steers to show at the fair, and Future Farmers of America (FFA) throughout high school.
The Attorney General’s Office, headed by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, and the Legal Services Division function as the lawyers for the State of Montana. The attorneys in the Office have expertise in a wide range of legal topics and handle a broad range of legal cases involving the State of Montana and its people.
Austin Knudsen (R) defeated Raph Graybill (D) in the general election for Montana Attorney General on November 3, 2020. Incumbent Tim Fox (R) did not run for re-election. Fox was first elected in 2012, defeating Pam Bucy (D) 54% to 46%. He was re-elected in 2016, defeating Larry Jent (D) 68% to 32%.
Nov 04, 2020 · Austin Knudsen won Tuesday’s race for Montana attorney general. Republican Austin Knudsen won the heated race to become Montana’s next attorney general early Wednesday. The current Roosevelt County attorney and former state House Speaker led his opponent, Democrat Raph Graybill, by roughly 64,000 votes as of 1:20 a.m. Wednesday.
VI, § 4(4). The delegates to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention made the Attorney General an independent elected official responsible to the people of Montana, and not to the Governor or any other elected official.
Attorney General of MontanaMontana Attorney GeneralGeneral informationOffice Type:PartisanOffice website:Official LinkCompensation:$141,02314 more rows
HELENA — President Joe Biden has nominated Jesse Laslovich to serve as the U.S. Attorney for Montana. Laslovich is currently the Regional Vice President for the SCL(Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth) Health Montana-Wyoming region.Jan 26, 2022
Department of JusticeOFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 215 N Sanders, Third Floor PO Box 201401 Helena, MT 59620-1401 444-2026Websitewww.dojmt.govAssistant Attorney General, Jonathan Krauss444-2026Assistant Attorney General, Bree Gee444-2026Paralegal, Janet Sanderson444-3464240 more rows
Greg Gianforte (Republican Party)Montana / GovernorGregory Richard Gianforte is an American businessman, politician, software engineer, and writer serving as the 25th governor of Montana since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Gianforte served as the U.S. representative for Montana's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2021. Wikipedia
List of governors of MontanaGovernor of MontanaTerm lengthFour years, renewable once (limited to eight years in a sixteen year period)Constituting instrumentMontana Constitution of 1889Inaugural holderJoseph K. TooleFormationNovember 8, 18897 more rows
United States District Court for the District of MontanaAppeals toNinth CircuitEstablishedNovember 8, 1889Judges3Chief JudgeBrian Morris7 more rows
94 districtsBelow is a listing of current United States Attorneys for all 94 districts.
Aaron Ford (Democratic Party)Nevada / Attorney generalAaron Darnell Ford is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 34th Attorney General of Nevada, since 2019. Wikipedia
In Montana, supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections to eight-year terms....June 7 primary.[hide]Montana Supreme Court Primary, Chief Justice Seat, 2016CandidateVote %VotesMike McGrath Incumbent (unopposed)100.00%237,5772 more rows
Incumbent. Christi Jacobsen The Secretary of State of Montana is one of the elected constitutional officers of executive branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The current Secretary of State is Christi Jacobsen.
The principal duties of the Attorney General are to:Represent the United States in legal matters.Supervise and direct the administration and operation of the offices, boards, divisions, and bureaus that comprise the Department.More items...•Oct 8, 2021
Montana law dictates the duties of the attorney general and his or her legal staff. That law stipulates certain things the attorney general may not do. He or she: does not direct or supervise state agencies other than the Department of Justice.
Opinions issued by the attorney general hold the force of law unless overturned by a district court. Opinions are researched and written by assistant attorneys general for final approval by the attorney general.
This bureau assists local county attorneys by providing training and by assisting in the prosecution of complex criminal cases, particularly homicide cases. It also prosecutes cases where the county attorney has a conflict of interest; prosecutes drug cases and workers’ compensation and Medicaid fraud cases; and investigates complaints against county attorneys. Such complaints must be filed in writing and sent to the bureau via regular mail.
The Agency Legal Services Bureau provides legal counsel to state government officials and state agencies. Attorneys in the bureau represent other state agencies in civil actions ranging from liability lawsuits to personnel issues.
The division’s Appellate Services Bureau handles appeals of criminal matters, including death penalty cases, and represents the state in federal court when constitutional challenges are made to a criminal conviction.
Article VI of the Montana State Constitution stipulates that the attorney general is a publicly elected official who serves a term of four years. Terms begin the first Monday of January following election.
First, the attorney general works with the secretary of state and with the submittors of proposed ballot measures to ensure the legality of ballot language. Second, the attorney general can issue opinions offering interpretations about aspects of the initiative process about which there is some ambiguity—and these opinions have the force of the law.
The Montana Constitution addresses the duties of the attorney general in Article VI, Section 4 . Under Article VI, Section 4 (4): The attorney general is the legal officer of the state and shall have the duties and powers provided by law.
(a) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general, or superintendent of public instruction;#N#(b) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as a state representative;#N#(c) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as a state senator;#N#(d) 6 or more years in any 12-year period as a member of the U.S. house of representatives; and#N#(e) 12 or more years in any 24-year period as a member of the U.S. senate.#N#(2) When computing time served for purposes of subsection (1), the provisions of subsection (1) do not apply to time served in terms that end during or prior to January 1993.#N#(3) Nothing contained herein shall preclude an otherwise qualified candidate from being certified as nominated or elected by virtue of write-in votes cast for said candidate.
If the attorney general determines that a proposed issue is legally sufficient but that the ballot statements clearly do not comply with legal requirements, the attorney general prepares statements that comply with applicable requirements and forwards them to the secretary of state.
The attorney general has the authority to provide legal opinions to the state legislature, state officers, city and county attorneys, among others. The attorney general also has supervisory authority over the state's 56 county attorneys and, at the request of local, state or federal law enforcement agencies, can investigate criminal violations ...
(1) No person shall be eligible to the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, or auditor unless he is 25 years of age or older at the time of his election.
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Raph Graybill submitted the biography and key messages below to Ballotpedia ahead of the 2020 election.
Austin Knudsen defeated Raph Graybill in the general election for Attorney General of Montana on November 3, 2020.
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us .
The general election for attorney general was held on November 8, 2016.
Acting United States Attorney Leif M. Johnson is now the interim Chief Federal Prosecutor of the District of Montana, following the announcement of the resignation of former United States Attorney Kurt G. Alma on November 23, 2020, in which U.S. Attorney Johnson took over immediately. Former U.S. Attorney Alma’s resignation was effective on December 3, 2020.
With an active admission to the State Bar of Montana since 1991, United States Attorney Leif Johnson has been a licensed prosecutor for 29 years working on both civil and criminal matters, wherein over 25 years have been spent serving and remaining loyal to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
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.
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.
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.
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]