Attorney General of California | |
---|---|
Incumbent Rob Bonta since April 23, 2021 | |
Department of Justice | |
Style | The Honorable |
Term length | Four years, two term limit |
Click for high-resolution photo. 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.
33 California attorneys generalThere have been 33 California attorneys general since 1849. Of the 32 officeholders, 19 were Democrat, 13 were Republican and one was American Independent.
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.
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
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
The NSW Attorney General is the legal advisor to the Government of NSW. The Attorney General is responsible for representing the State and may act on its behalf in all legal proceedings in which the State is a party. preserves civil liberties.
A Deputy Attorney General III represents and acts as counsel for large State departments, for a group of boards and commissions whose legal work is difficult, and advises district attorneys, county counsels, grand juries, and other public agencies staffed principally by attorneys.
Incumbent. Shirley Weber The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's other constitutional officers; the officeholder is restricted by term limits to two terms.
An attorney, also called a lawyer, advises clients and represents them and their legal rights in both criminal and civil cases. This can begin with imparting advice, then proceed with preparing documents and pleadings and sometimes, ultimately, appearing in court to advocate on behalf of clients.Nov 19, 2019
Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term. 11 face a two term limit, otherwise unspecified.
25, 1985 – August 12, 1988: Edwin Meese, a Republican from California, was appointed U.S. attorney general by President Ronald Reagan.
California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows
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 .
According to the state Constitution, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the Government Code, the attorney general: 1 As the state's chief law officer, ensures that the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced. 2 Heads the Department of Justice, which is responsible for providing state legal services and support for local law enforcement. 3 Acts as the chief counsel in state litigation. 4 Oversees law enforcement agencies, including district attorneys and sheriffs.
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.
oag .ca .gov. 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 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, ...
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.
The Attorney General's Office is committed to protecting the rights of all people. Recognizing that discrimination has no place in our society,The Attorney General's Office is fighting to protect transgender students and adults across the nation, and strictly enforcing the recently enacted California law that prohibits state-funded travel to states that discriminate against LGBTQ communities.
The Attorney General's Office believes that the economic security of working families is crucial to the economic well-being of California and will fight to make sure that everyone in our state can benefit from economic growth and consumer protections.
Bureau of Children's Justice. The Bureau’s mission is to protect the rights of children and focus the attention and resources of law enforcement and policymakers on the importance of safeguarding every child. View More.
Law enforcement officers can only be effective if they are trusted by the communities they serve. Police agencies across the country now confront a crisis of confidence that not only complicates their dangerous work but also demands a meaningful response.
Sexual violence derives from unequal power relationships, and is one of the most common violations of people’s rights. The Attorney General's Office is committed to combatting sexual violence in all its forms.
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.".
Additionally, each candidate for attorney general must: 1 Be a registered voter 2 Be registered with their party for at least three months#N#Not have been registered with a different political party in the last 12 months 3 Not have been previously term-limited out
No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms.
Elections. Attorneys general are elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in federal midterm election years, e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030. Like all constitutional state officers, the attorney general assumes office on the first Monday in the new year following the election.
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.
The current officeholder is Rob Bonta, a Democrat. He was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to replace Xavier Becerra (D), who left office when he was confirmed as U.S. secretary of health and human services.
As Attorney General of California, Becerra was tasked with writing ballot titles and summaries that appeared on voter information guides and ballots in both the 2018 and 2020 elections. Proponents accused Becer ra multiple times of writing biased descriptions that violated the law, which requires "a true and impartial statement of the purpose" of measures. In one of many unsuccessful lawsuits against Becerra, a state judge wrote that attorneys general have "wide latitude" in how they write ballot descriptions. Critics said the responsibility to write the ballot title and summary should be transferred to a different, non-partisan office.
After Joe Biden's election as president in November 2020, Becerra was considered a candidate for United States Attorney General. The New York Times reported in early December 2020 that Biden would nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services. His nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department has been criticized by pro-life and conservative leaders led by Students for Life of America, citing his "absence of health care experience and his disregard for people of faith". He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 50-49, with all but one Democrat present and one Republican, Susan Collins, voting in favor. This was the narrowest vote for any of Biden's cabinet positions. It was later confirmed by the Department of Health and Human Services that Becerra had been sworn in. Soon after officially becoming the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra released a statement praising the Affordable Care Act and encouraging people to keep enrolling in its health care program.
And on December 23, 2011, he was appointed to serve on a bicameral conference committee to find bipartisan solutions on middle-class tax cuts, unemployment insurance, and the Medicare physician payment rate. Becerra had a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and was the first Latino to serve on the committee.
border. As of September 26, 2019, Becerra had sued the Trump administration 62 times in total.
Becerra was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992. He represented California's 30th congressional district from 1993 to 2003, California's 31st congressional district from 2003 to 2013, and California's 34th congressional district from 2013 to 2017.
Becerra won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 32% of the vote. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg 58%–24%. He won re-election to a second term in 1994 with 66% of the vote. His district was renumbered as the 31st district after the 2000 census.
In August 2020, California Senator Kamala Harris was selected by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as his Vice-President ial running mate. After Biden ultimately won the general election, Becerra was floated as a possible replacement for Harris, along with others such as Representative Karen Bass, Representative Barbara Lee, Secretary of State Alex Padilla (who was eventually chosen), and former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís. Early December reports that Biden planned to nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services rendered such speculation moot.
But he was also criticized for failing to follow through on promises to hold the police accountable for misconduct.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside, who has worked with Mr. Bonta on the state’s Commission on A.P.I.A. Affairs, told me that as a lawmaker, Mr. Bonta “has been really strong on immigrant rights.”.
One is the Rose River Memorial, which is part of a traveling exhibit that will eventually become part of a larger display in Washington. The exhibit at Christ Cathedral and sponsored by the OC Autism Foundation is made up of 4,600 felt roses symbolizing the deaths of Orange County residents from Covid-19.
Oakland is piloting a guaranteed income program to combat poverty in the city. Mayor Libby Schaaf announced that 600 low-income families of color, chosen at random, will soon get $500 a month for 18 months. The program follows similar experiments in California and around the country. [ The Oaklandside]
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.
Rob Bonta, an Asian-American Progressive, Is Named Attorney General in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Mr. Bonta, an East Bay assemblyman, to fill the remaining term of Xavier Becerra, who became the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary last week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta as California attorney general, picking a leading advocate for criminal justice reform who has campaigned to abolish the death penalty and eliminate cash bail for many offenses. If confirmed by the state Legislature, Bonta, a resident of Alameda, ...
The role also requires the attorney general to assist local prosecutors and police agencies with criminal investigations, and prosecute violations of state laws, including those protecting the environment, charities and gun safety. The attorney general’s office also serves as a watchdog on police misconduct.
As attorney general, Becerra was a leading litigator, challenging many of the former president‘s policies, having sued the Trump administration 123 times .The next state attorney general is not expected to spend as much time in court challenging federal policy during the Biden administration.
The attorney general’s office also serves as a watchdog on police misconduct. Some critics of the criminal justice system have criticized Becerra for not being aggressive enough in investigating police agencies and officers accused of excessive force and other misconduct.
He has also shown loyalty to the governor, emerging in recent weeks as a leading voice against the threatened recall of Newsom. Bonta, who is married and has three children, is the Assembly assistant majority leader and serves on committees overseeing spending, communications and health issues.
Anti-death penalty advocate and actor Mike Ferrell said he hopes Bonta “will be more active than our last two attorneys general.”. Advertisement. But Kent Scheidegger of the pro-death penalty Criminal Justice Legal Foundation expressed concern about Bonta’s nomination. “It goes beyond the death penalty.
That same month, Newsom appointed Assemblywoman Shirley Weber of San Diego as secretary of state, filling the vacancy caused by Padilla’s departure for Washington. California Politics California Law & Politics.
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