who is texas state attorney

by Dr. Nathan DuBuque 4 min read

How many State attorneys are there in Texas?

As the state's top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Paxton leads more than 4,000 employees in 38 divisions and 117 offices around Texas. That includes nearly 750 attorneys, who handle more than 30,000 cases annually.

Who is the district attorney for the state of Texas?

Stacey M. Soule, State Prosecuting Attorney.

Who is the chief legal officer of the state of Texas?

Ken Paxton
The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Texas. The current officeholder, Republican Ken Paxton, has served in the position since January 5, 2015.

Who is higher than the states attorney?

The U.S. attorney general, who is the chief law enforcement officer in the United States and the head of the Department of Justice, has supervisory responsibility over U.S. attorneys.

What's the difference between attorney and lawyer?

For example in the US, an attorney is a general term for a lawyer that has passed a bar examination and can practice law in a particular jurisdiction. Attorneys act as lawyers but not all lawyers can perform the work of attorneys.Oct 22, 2021

Does Texas have district attorneys?

A district attorney in Texas has the following duties: Represents the state in prosecuting felony criminal cases. Works with law enforcement officers in the investigation of criminal cases. Presents cases to the grand jury.

What is the role of Attorney General for the state of Texas?

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, ...

Is governor Abbott a lawyer?

Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015.

Does Texas have a Secretary of State?

The secretary of state offices are in the James Earl Rudder State Office Building at 1019 Brazos Street in Austin; the main building handles business and public filings, statutory documents, administrative code open meetings and the UCC.

How do I file a complaint against a Texas district attorney?

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.

What does the state attorney do?

The functions of the State Attorney is as follows:

The drafting and managing of contracts on behalf of the State. The handling of criminal and civil litigation cases instituted against State officials and committed by means of acts or omissions while executing their official duties.

What is the difference between a DA and a prosecutor?

A prosecutor and a defense attorney are both lawyers who have completed law school and passed the bar examination. However, a defense attorney defends the individual that a prosecutor is trying to convince the jury is guilty. In a criminal court, these attorneys are on opposite sides.

Who represents the state in a criminal case?

The State Prosecuting Attorney may also represent the state in any stage of a criminal case before a state court of appeals if she considers it necessary for the interest of the state.

Who can assist a district or county attorney in representing the state before a court of appeals?

The State Prosecuting Attorney may assist a district or a county attorney in representing the state before a court of appeals if requested to do so by the district or county attorney.

When was the Attorney General of Texas established?

The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. 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.

What is the office of the Attorney General?

The Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and commissions, and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the state.

When was the Office of Attorney General established?

The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor.

Who is Ken Paxton?

In November 2014, he was elected as the governor of Texas. Ken Paxton defeated former House Representative Dan Branch in the Republican primary by a 26% margin and was elected easily in the general election as the 50th attorney general of Texas, (there is a historical dispute whether he is the 50th or 51st attorney general).

News

The Biden Administration's failed immigration policies have put those at the border in danger and their property at risk.

Office of the Attorney General Initiatives

We regularly identify unique threats to Texas—and we take action to defeat them.

About KEN PAXTON

Ken Paxton is the 51st Attorney General of Texas. He was elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn into office on January 5, 2015.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

2018

Incumbent Ken Paxton defeated Justin Nelson and Michael Ray Harris in the general election for Attorney General of Texas on November 6, 2018.

Who is Greg Abbott?

Before his election in 2014 as the 48th Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott was the 50th and longest-serving Attorney General of Texas, earning a national reputation for defending religious liberty and protecting Texas communities and children. He also previously served as a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court and as a State District Judge in Harris ...

Where is Governor Abbott from?

A native Texan and avid sportsman and hunter, Governor Abbott was born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, he earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

What is the Lone Star State?

With the Governor’s unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity for all hardworking Texans, the Lone Star State is the top state for attracting job-creating capital investments and is among the top states for jobs created by African American, Hispanic, women, and veteran business owners.

What is Operation Lone Star?

That includes launching Operation Lone Star, which deploys air, ground, marine, and tactical border security assets to high threat areas to deny Mexican Cartels, smugglers, and human traffickers the ability to move drugs and people into Texas.

How much money did Abbott give to build the border wall?

Additionally, Governor Abbott announced plans to build a border wall in Texas—allocating $250 million as an initial down payment.

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Overview

The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Texas. The current officeholder, Republican Ken Paxton, has served in the position since January 5, 2015.
The office is housed at the William P. Clements State Office Building in Downtown Austin.

History

The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. 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.

Duties and responsibilities

The attorney general is charged by the state constitution to represent the state in civil litigation and approve public bond issues. There are nearly 2,000 references to the Office of the Attorney General in state laws.
The Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the governor, heads of state agencies an…

Political prominence

Many leading political figures in Texas history have served as attorney general, several of them using the office as a jumping-off place to other offices in the state and national government. Attorneys general James S. Hogg, Charles A. Culberson, Dan Moody, James V. Allred, Price Daniel, Mark White, and Greg Abbott were elected governor. Culberson, Daniel, and John Cornyn were later elected to the United States Senate.

Notes

1. First elected attorney general (AG) of state of Texas; previously elected AG of the Republic of Texas
2. Resigned
3. Appointed

External links

• Texas Attorney General official website
• Texas Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
• News and Commentary at FindLaw
• U.S. Supreme Court Opinions – "Cases with title containing: State of Texas" at FindLaw