On April 23, 2021, Rob Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California, the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian-American to occupy the position. Attorney General Bonta's passion for justice and fairness was instilled in him by his parents, who served on the frontlines of some of America's most important social justice movements.
There has been a lot of recent turnover at the California Department of Justice. In 2016, Attorney General Kamala Harris became a U.S. senator and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra was appointed to the job.
About the AG. About the Office of the Attorney General. The Attorney General is the state's top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of …
· Rob Bonta Is Named Attorney General in California - The New York Times Advertisement Rob Bonta, an Asian-American Progressive, Is Named Attorney General in …
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 U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia
Attorney General of CaliforniaIncumbent Rob Bonta since April 23, 2021Department of JusticeStyleThe HonorableTerm lengthFour years, two term limit5 more rows
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.
On January 24, 2017, Xavier Becerra was sworn in as the 33rd Attorney General of the State of California, and is the first Latino to hold the office in the history of the state.
State executive salariesOffice and current officialSalaryGovernor of California Gavin Newsom$209,747Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni KounalakisAttorney General of California Rob BontaCalifornia Secretary of State Shirley Weber6 more rows
ra]; born January 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services since March 2021. Becerra previously served as the attorney general of California from January 2017 until March 2021.
The Attorney General is the adviser to the Government on matters of law and legal opinion and attends Government meetings. They also represent the public in all legal proceedings that involve the enforcement of the law or the protection of public rights.
Being the highest law officer of the country, it is the duty of the attorney general to advise the government on legal matters that are referred to him by the president. He is also duty-bound to undertake any responsibilities of duties of legal character that are assigned to him by the president.
California Department of JusticeAgency executivesKevin Gardner, Chief, Div. of Law Enforcement Joe Dominic, Chief, Div. of Criminal Justice Information Services Gerald Engler, Chief/Asst. AG, Div. of Criminal Law Kathleen Kenealy, Chief/Asst. AG, Div. of Civil Law Mark Breckler, Chief/Asst. AG, Div. of Public Rights24 more rows
Peter H. Chang - Deputy Attorney General - California Department of Justice | LinkedIn.
Gavin Newsom (Democratic Party)California / GovernorGavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician and businessman serving as the 40th governor of California since January 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and as the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. Wikipedia
George GascónGeorge Gascón is the 43rd District Attorney for Los Angeles County. He took office on Dec. 7, 2020, and immediately instituted a series of policies based on science, data and research to bring change within the criminal legal system.
Peter H. Chang - Deputy Attorney General - California Department of Justice | LinkedIn.
California Secretary of State, Shirley N. Weber, Ph.
AmericanXavier Becerra / Nationality
Gavin Newsom (Democratic Party)California / GovernorGavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician and businessman serving as the 40th governor of California since January 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and as the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. Wikipedia
The California attorney general's main office in Sacramento is housed in this building. According to the state Constitution, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the Government Code, the attorney general: As the state's chief law officer, ensures that the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced.
The California attorney general is elected to a four-year term, with a maximum of two terms. The election is held at the same statewide election as the governor, lieutenant governor, controller, secretary of state, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, and insurance commissioner .
George Deukmejian was the first Armenian American to hold the office.
Heads the Department of Justice, which is responsible for providing state legal services and support for local law enforcement. Acts as the chief counsel in state litigation. Oversees law enforcement agencies, including district attorneys and sheriffs.
Warren went on to become attorney general himself in 1938, reorganizing's the state's law enforcement into districts.
Although the office of attorney general dates to the admission of California to the Union, the office in its modern form dates to Proposition 4 of 1934, sponsored by Alameda County District Attorney Earl Warren as one of four initiatives he sponsored to substantially reform law enforcement and the judiciary.
On March 24, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he would be appointing Rob Bonta as attorney general to succeed Xavier Becerra, who resigned the position to become Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden.
Duties. The attorney general acts as the state's chief law officer and oversees the California Department of Justice. He or she supervises the state's district and city attorneys, as well as its law enforcement officers.
Further, the attorney general plays a direct role in law enforcement efforts and "coordinates statewide narcotics enforcement efforts, participates in criminal investigations and provides forensic science services, identification and information services and telecommunication support.".
In 2020, the attorney general received a salary of $182,189, according to the Council of State Governments.
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990.
Attorneys general, like all state constitutional officers, face an absolute limit of two terms in office.
The vacancy procedure for the office of attorney general is determined by the Constitution. When a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a replacement to serve the remainder of the term under the next election. The appointee must be confirmed by a majority of both house of the California legislature.
Nonpartisan primary election. Incumbent Xavier Becerra and Steven Bailey defeated Dave Jones and Eric Early in the primary for Attorney General of California on June 5, 2018.
Under the state Constitution, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in the same statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner. In 1990, California voters imposed a two-term limit on these statewide offices.
The Attorney General is the state's top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of California through a broad range of duties. The Attorney General's responsibilities include safeguarding Californians from harm and promoting community safety, ...
Overseeing more than 4,500 lawyers, investigators, sworn peace officers, and other employees, the Attorney General:
Serves as legal counsel to state officers and, with few exceptions, to state agencies, boards and commissions. Assists district attorneys, local law enforcement and federal and international criminal justice agencies in the administration of justice.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Wednesday named Rob Bonta, a Democratic state legislator and loyal political ally, to succeed Xavier Becerra as attorney general, placing an advocate of criminal justice reform and a rising Asian-American progressive at the helm of California’s largest law enforcement agency.
Mr. Bonta will be the state’s second Asian-American attorney general, after Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent. Progressives and organized labor play a critical role in mobilizing Democratic voters in California, and no state’s population except Hawaii’s has a higher percentage of Asian-Americans, who make up about 16 percent.
Later the same day, he appointed Shirley Weber, who represented San Diego in the State Assembly, as California’s first African-American secretary of state.
Supporters of other candidates noted that Mr. Newsom had already made history with several appointments: In November, he appointed Martin Jenkins, who is African-American and openly gay, to the California Supreme Court.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had urged Mr. Newsom to appoint Representative Adam Schiff, who has long aspired to statewide office, and who, as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, managed Mr. Trump’s first impeachment. Mr.
The new state law giving the attorney general a pivotal role in police shootings also heightened interest in the appointment, as civil rights advocates pushed the governor to name someone who would aggressively investigate police misconduct, while law enforcement groups lobbied for a traditional law-and-order candidate.
The announcement came slightly less than a week after Mr. Becerra’ s narrow confirmation as health and human services secretary for President Biden. It also came at a politically fraught time for Mr. Newsom, who has been under pressure to shore up his base in the face of a recall campaign and to take a hard line on recent racial violence against Asian-Americans.
The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (Constitution of California, Article V, Section 13). The California attorney general carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice. The department employs over 1,…
According to the state Constitution, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the Government Code, the attorney general:
• As the state's chief law officer, ensures that the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced.
• Heads the Department of Justice, which is responsible for providing state legal services and support for local law enforce…
Although the office of attorney general dates to the admission of California to the Union, the office in its modern form dates to Proposition 4 of 1934, sponsored by Alameda County District Attorney Earl Warrenas one of four initiatives he sponsored to substantially reform law enforcement and the judiciary. Previously, the attorney general lacked jurisdiction over matters in the jurisdiction of locally elected district attorneys and sheriffs. Warren went on to become attor…
• Stanley Mosk was the first adherent of Judaism to hold the office.
• George Deukmejian was the first Armenian American to hold the office.
• Kamala Harris was the first woman, the first Asian American, and the first African American to hold the office.
Major other offices held
• Xavier Becerra (2017–2021) – 25th Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–present)
• Jerry Brown (2007–2011) – 34th and 39th Governor of California (1975–1983; 2011–2019)
• Pat Brown (1951–1959) – 32nd Governor of California (1959–1967)
• Official website
• California Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
• News and Commentary at FindLaw