who is the montana attorney general?

by Eugenia Dickinson 6 min read

Attorney General Austin Knudsen

Who will be Montana’s next Attorney General?

Attorney General’s Office – Montana Department of Justice. 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 …

Who are the lawyers in the state of Montana?

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%. Before Fox’s tenure, a Democrat had held the office since 1993.

How does the Montana Attorney General issue formal opinions?

A chronological list of past Montana attorneys general is below. Return to full list of past attorneys general. Tim Fox: 2013 – 2021: Stephen C. Bullock: 2009 – 2013: Mike McGrath: 2001 – 2009: Joe Mazurek: 1993 – 2001: Marc Racicot: 1989 – 1993: Mike Greely: 1977 – 1989: Robert L. Woodahl: 1969 – 1977: Forrest H. Anderson:

Is Montana a safe state to live in?

Nov 04, 2020 · 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. By 8 a.m., that lead expanded to about 90,000 votes.

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Is the Attorney General of Montana elected or appointed?

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.

How much do attorney generals make Montana?

How much does an Attorney General make in Montana? As of Apr 3, 2022, the average annual pay for an Attorney General in Montana is $66,338 an year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $31.89 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,276/week or $5,528/month.

Who is the assistant Attorney General of Montana?

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

Who is the Attoney General?

P. Kihara KariukiJustice (Rtd) P. Kihara Kariuki was sworn in 2018, April as the 7th Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya.

How much does a Montana Supreme Court justice make?

Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath will get an 8.9 percent hike to bring his salary to $137,570, the highest of any Montana state elected official. The six Supreme Court justices will get the highest percentage pay raise of all elected officials at 9 percent, increasing their salaries to $136,181 each.May 16, 2015

How much does a Montana senator make?

Legislator salariesState legislatorsSalaryPer diem$100.48/legislative day$126.12/day; For additional expenses, legislators will receive a primary $3,000 stipend and a secondary amount between $1,000 and $4,000 depending on the size of a legislator's district.

Who is on the Montana Supreme Court?

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

Who is Montana Governor?

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

Who is Montana's secretary of state?

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.

Who is the former Attorney General?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows

What is the difference between chief justice and Attorney General?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.Feb 20, 2020

What is the Attorney General's role?

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.

What is the Montana law?

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.

Who holds the force of law?

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.

What is the county attorney bureau?

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.

What is the agency legal services bureau?

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.

What is the division of appellate services?

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.

How long is the attorney general term in Montana?

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.

How does the Attorney General influence the referendum process in Montana?

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.

What is the Montana Constitution?

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.

How long is a state representative?

(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.

How old do you have to be to be a governor?

(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.

Who has the authority to provide legal opinions to the state legislature, state officers, city and county attorneys, among others?

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 ...

Who prepares ballot statements?

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.

Election procedure changes in 2020

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.

Candidate profiles

Raph Graybill submitted the biography and key messages below to Ballotpedia ahead of the 2020 election.

Candidates and election results

Austin Knudsen defeated Raph Graybill in the general election for Attorney General of Montana on November 3, 2020.

Noteworthy endorsements

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.

Campaign ads

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 .

Past elections

The general election for attorney general was held on November 8, 2016.

Who is the most popular Republican in Montana?

Ultimately, the people of the great state of Montana will support Knudsen, who is far-and-away the most popular Republican in state-wide office and who many believe is the heir-apparent to whatever office he feels like taking next.

What happens if Montana doesn't want to set precedent?

If Montana doesn’t want to set the precedent of allowing an activist judiciary to overturn the laws of other states (or our own) just on the merits that they don’t like them, the executive branch of government and the Attorney General’s office must push back against them in order to maintain law and order.

Why did Austin Knudsen file a motion in disagreement with the judge?

Since then, Attorney General Austin Knudsen – who was elected in 2020 and whose job it is to enforce state laws – has filed a motion in disagreement with the judge because they are demanding that Montana vacate a sentence handed down by the state of Idaho. That’s not how the law works in the United States.

Who is Austin Knudsen?

Austin Knudsen is a man elected to do a job, and Austin Knudsen is the type of man to do his job. If Montana doesn’t want to set the precedent of allowing an activist judiciary to overturn the laws of other states (or our own) just on the merits that they don’t like them, the executive branch of government and the Attorney General’s office must push back against them in order to maintain law and order.

Is sodomy a crime in Montana?

Sodomy, or the act of anal penetration between two males, is not a crime in Montana. The Big Sky State lets people be as sexually weird as they want to be, so long as their acts are voluntary between consenting adults. But that might not be the message that you’re getting from mainstream media ...

Early life and education

Dudík was born in Frenchtown, Montana. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Montana State University. She also has earned a J.D. degree from the University of Montana School of Law and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Career

Dudik works as an attorney in private practice at Dudik Law P.L.L.C. She served as chair for the Office of State Public Defender Task Force.

Montana House of Representatives

In 2015, Dudik worked with Republican Montana Attorney General Tim Fox to combat human trafficking in Montana. She carried House Bill 89 which substantially reformed Montana’s human trafficking laws.

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Authority

Elections

  • Article VI of the Montana State Constitutionstipulates 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.
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Vacancies

  • Details of vacancies are addressed under Article VI, Section 6. If the attorney general's office is vacant due to death, resignation, or disability, the governor shall appoint a new attorney general.
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Duties

  • The Montana Constitution addresses the duties of the attorney general in Article VI, Section 4. Under Article VI, Section 4(4):
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Divisions

  • As of January 11, 2021, the Office of the Attorney General of Montana contains the following divisions: 1. Legal 2. Central Services 3. Criminal Investigation 4. Forensic Science 5. Gambling Control 6. Consumer Protection and Victim Services 7. Information Technology Services 8. Motor Vehicle 9. Natural Resource Damage Program
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Compensation

  • Under Article VI, Section 5 of the Montana Constitution, the attorney general's salary is fixed by law and the officeholder may not receive any other compensation while in office. In 1995, the Montana Legislaturepassed MCA 2-16-403 and MCA 2-16-405, which require the state department of administration to conduct a salary survey every other year of elected officials for North Dakot…
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Contact Information

  • Attorney General's Office Department of Justice P.O. Box 201401 Helena, MT 59620-1401 Phone: 406-444-2026 Fax: 406-444-3549 E-mail: [email protected]
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External Links