who was the first us attorney general for the justice department

Who was the previous US Attorney General?

 · First Attorney General 1789-1794 Edmund Jennings Randolph was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, on August 10, 1753. He attended the College of William and Mary and studied law in his father's office. He was a supporter of the Revolution and served as General George Washington's aide-de-camp in 1775.

Who is the current Attorney General of US?

 · History of the U.S. Attorneys Contains early histories of each district and a listing of all U.S. Attorneys from 1789-1989.

Who was the first outlaw in the US?

 · Download image. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was sworn in as the 86 th Attorney General of the United States on March 11, 2021. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department’s 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Who is the former Attorney General of the United States?

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United States. It is equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. The department is headed by the U.S. Attorney General, …

Who was the 1st Attorney General?

Edmund Jennings RandolphThe Judiciary Act of 1789 establishes the Office of the Attorney General. The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Office of the Attorney General. On September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

Who founded the DOJ?

Ulysses S. GrantUnited States Department of Justice / FounderUlysses S. Grant was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. Wikipedia

When was the DOJ created?

July 1, 1870United States Department of Justice / Founded162), creating "an executive department of the government of the United States" with the Attorney General as its head. Officially coming into existence on July 1, 1870, the Department of Justice was empowered to handle all criminal prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States had an interest.

Who was the previous Attorney General of the United States?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentCharles Lee1795-1801William Bradford1794-1795Edmund Jennings Randolph1789-179482 more rows

How was the Justice Department created?

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is a United States executive department formed in 1789 to assist the president and Cabinet in matters concerning the law and to prosecute U.S. Supreme Court cases for the federal government.

Who is head of the Justice Department?

Attorney General GarlandMeet the Attorney General As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department's 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

When did the United States begin a criminal justice system and how did it work?

The protections American citizens can expect in the criminal justice system were put into writing in 1791 with the adoption of the Bill of Rights. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution guarantee specific rights and freedoms for the individual and set the rules for due process in the application of the law.

Why was the Department of Justice created?

The traditional view is that Congress created the DOJ to increase the federal government's capacity to litigate a growing docket as a result of the Civil War, and more recent scholarship contends that Congress created the DOJ to enforce Reconstruction and ex-slaves' civil rights.

What did the attorney general do in 1789?

Another duty of the attorney general is to give legal advice to the president and the other cabinet members. The attorney general is also the chief law enforcement officer in the United States. Congress created the job of attorney general in 1789 when it passed the act that established the president's cabinet.

Who was the attorney general under George W Bush?

John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and former politician who served as the 79th U.S. Attorney General in the George W. Bush Administration, Senator from Missouri, and Governor of Missouri. He later founded the Ashcroft Group, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm.

Who was the attorney general in 1973 to 1978?

William Pelham Barr (born May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as the 77th and 85th United States attorney general in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump. New York City, U.S. From 1971 to 1977, Barr was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Who was the attorney general under George Washington?

Randolph had handled much of President Washington's personal legal work, and Washington appointed him as the first Attorney General of the United States in 1789 and then as Secretary of State in 1794. After leaving government service, Randolph represented Aaron Burr during Burr's 1807 trial for treason.

When was the Department of Justice established?

The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Who was the acting attorney general of the United States in 2017?

For example, upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her position, so then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who had also tendered her resignation, was asked to stay on to serve as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then- President-elect Donald Trump.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

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.

How much does an attorney general make in 2021?

Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$ 221,400, as of January 2021.

What was the purpose of the Attorney General's Office?

The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the United States solicitor general and the White House counsel .

What is the job of the Attorney General?

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.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

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.

When was Attorney General Garland appointed?

In April 1997, Attorney General Garland was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He served as Chief Judge from February 12, 2013 until February 11, 2020 and remained on the bench until his confirmation as Attorney General.

What did Attorney General Garland do before becoming a judge?

Before becoming a federal judge, Attorney General Garland spent a substantial part of his professional life at the Department of Justice. He served in both career and non-career positions under five Attorneys General, including as Special Assistant to the Attorney General, Assistant United States Attorney, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division, and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General. In those roles, his responsibilities spanned the work of the Department, including criminal, civil, and national security matters. They also included direct supervision of investigations and prosecutions of national importance , including the Oklahoma City bombing, Unabomber, and Montana Freemen cases.

When did Garland return to the Department of Justice?

He returned to the Department of Justice as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1989 to 1992. After briefly returning to Arnold & Porter in 1992, Attorney General Garland continued his career in public service as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division.

Who was the first attorney general of the United States?

President Ulysses S. Grantsigned the bill into law on June 22, 1870. [14] Grant appointed Amos T. Akermanas Attorney General and Benjamin H. Bristowas America's first solicitor general the same week that Congress created the Department of Justice. The Department's immediate function was to preserve civil rights.

When was the Attorney General's Office established?

The office of the Attorney Generalwas established by the Judiciary Act of 1789as a part-time job for one person, but grew with the bureaucracy. At one time, the Attorney General gave legal advice to the U.S. Congress, as well as the President; however, in 1819, the Attorney General began advising Congress alone to ensure a manageable workload.[11]

Who is the CIO of the Department of Homeland Security?

In May 2014, the Department appointed Joseph Klimavicz as CIO. Klimavicz succeeds Kevin Deeley, who served as acting CIO since November 2013 when the previous office holder, Luke McCormack, left to take the CIO post at the Department of Homeland Security.

When was the federal prison system created?

Federal Bureau of Prisons(BOP) – the Three Prisons Act of 1891 created the federal prison system. Congress created the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1930 by Pub. L. No. 71–218, 46 Stat. 325, signed into law by President Hoover on May 14, 1930.

Who administers the federal law enforcement agencies?

Several federal law enforcement agencies are administered by the Department of Justice :

Where is the prosecutor's motto?

The motto's conception of the prosecutor (or government attorney) as being the servant of justice itself finds concrete expression in a similarly-ordered English-language inscription ("THE UNITED STATES WINS ITS POINT WHENEVER JUSTICE IS DONE ITS CITIZENS IN THE COURTS") in the above-door paneling in the ceremonial rotunda anteroom just outside the Attorney General's office in the Department of Justice Main Building in Washington, D. C. The building was renamed in honor of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in 2001. It is sometimes referred to as "Main Justice".

What does the motto on the DOJ mean?

The most authoritative opinion of the DOJ suggests that the motto refers to the Attorney General (and thus, by extension, to the Department of Justice) "who prosecutes on behalf of justice (or the Lady Justice)".

Who was the Attorney General of the United States?

Amos T. Akerman. Amos Tappan Akerman (February 23, 1821 – December 21, 1880) was an American politician who served as United States Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1870 to 1871. A native of New Hampshire, Akerman graduated from Dartmouth College in 1842 and moved South, where he spent most of his career.

Who was the Attorney General of the United States during the Civil War?

American Civil War. Battle of Atlanta. Amos Tappan Akerman (February 23, 1821 – December 21, 1880) was an American politician who served as United States Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1870 to 1871. A native of New Hampshire, Akerman graduated from Dartmouth College in 1842 and moved South, where he spent most of his career.

Who was the first African American attorney in Georgia?

In 1869 President Grant appointed Akerman as U.S. Attorney in Georgia. President Grant, initially, attempted to protect African American voters against white violence and discrimination by the use of State courts.

Who did Akerman support in 1868?

United States Presidential election 1868. During the 1868 Presidential campaign, there was concern that Akerman supported presidential candidate Horatio Seymour over Grant. To stop the rumor, in a letter from Elberton, Akerman published his full endorsement for Ulysses S. Grant.

What party did Akerman join?

Akerman joined the Republican Party in the campaign for freedmen 's citizenship and suffrage. He was an outspoken proponent of Reconstruction as a member of Georgia's 1868 state constitutional convention and when appointed as U.S. district attorney for Georgia (1869). His appointment was blocked for some time by Congress, since he had served in the Confederate army. Akerman served for a total period of six months in this position. Akerman also strongly advocated Georgia's readmission into the Union and struggled to gain stability and federal compliance in the state.

Where did Akerman practice law?

Akerman passed the Georgia Bar in 1850, and moved to Peoria, Illinois, where his sister resided, and briefly practiced law. Akerman returned to Georgia and practiced law in Clarksville. Akerman returned to Georgia, where he opened a law practice in Elberton, with Robert Heston.

Who hired John Macpherson Berrien?

In 1846, he was hired by planter John Macpherson Berrien as a tutor for his children in Savannah, Georgia. Berrien had been President Andrew Jackson 's Attorney General and was a prominent Whig. Akerman took advantage of Berrien's extensive law library and became fascinated with the field.

Who was Walt Whitman's clerk in the Justice Department?

Employed at the time as Akerman’s clerk in the Justice Department, the poet Walt Whitman shared the anxieties of his countrymen, giving voice to this sentiment in his “Memoranda During the War.”.

Who was Akerman in the Reconstruction Amendments?

Foremost, Akerman was a lawyer, who, according to McFeely, “welcomed the firm, unequivocal law he found in the Reconstruction amendments.”. Meanwhile, the Klan offended Akerman’s principles; he wrote, “disguised night riders taking the law in their own hands meant no law at all.”.

Who were the Republican candidates in the 1876 election?

A poster of Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler, the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the Republican Party in the U.S. "Centennial" election of 1876. Library of Congress / Getty Images

Who wrote the Ku Klux Klan trial?

Lou Falkner Williams, in her book, The Great South Carolina Ku Klux Klan Trials, 1871-1872 wrote that the Klan conducted a year-long reign of terror throughout the region starting with the November 1870 elections, whipping black and white Republican voters.

What was the goal of the federal government during the Civil War?

During this period of Reconstruction, the federal government committed itself to guaranteeing full citizenship rights to all Americans, regardless of race . At the forefront of that effort was Akerman, a former Democrat and enslaver from Georgia, ...

What did the government do in the wake of the Civil War?

In the wake of the Civil War, the government’s new force sought to enshrine equality under the law. A cartoon by illustrator Thomas Nast shows a member of the White League and a member of the Ku Klux Klan joining hands over a terrorized black family. (Library of Congress)

Who was the DOJ attorney general in 2006?

Attorney General Gonzales, in a confidential memorandum dated March 1, 2006, delegated authority to senior DOJ staff Monica Goodling and Kyle Sampson to hire and dismiss political appointees and some civil service positions.

What did the change in the law do to the Attorney General?

The change in the law undermined the confirmation authority of the Senate and gave the Attorney General greater appointment powers than the President, since the President's U.S. Attorney appointees are required to be confirmed by the Senate and those of the Attorney General did not require confirmation.

How long can an interim attorney serve?

Attorneys by deleting two provisions: (a) the 120-day maximum term for the Attorney General's interim appointees, and (b) the subsequent interim appointment authority of Federal District Courts. With the revision, an interim appointee can potentially serve indefinitely (though still removable by the President), if the President declines to nominate a U.S. Attorney for a vacancy, or the Senate either fails to act on a Presidential nomination, or rejects a nominee that is different than the interim appointee.

Who can appoint an attorney?

The President of the United States has the authority to appoint U.S. Attorneys, with the consent of the United States Senate, and the President may remove U.S. Attorneys from office. In the event of a vacancy, the United States Attorney General is authorized to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney. Before March 9, 2006, such interim appointments expired after 120 days, if a Presidential appointment had not been approved by the Senate. Vacancies that persisted beyond 120 days were filled through interim appointments made by the Federal District Court for the district of the vacant office.

When was the Karl Rove subpoena issued?

On May 2, 2007, the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Attorney General Gonzales compelling the Department of Justice to produce all email from Karl Rove regarding evaluation and dismissal of attorneys that was sent to DOJ staffers, no matter what email account Rove may have used, whether White House, National Republican party, or other accounts, with a deadline of May 15, 2007, for compliance. The subpoena also demanded relevant email previously produced in the Valerie Plame controversy and investigation for the 2003 CIA leak scandal.

Why are emails about the firing of attorneys lost?

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel stated that some of the emails that had involved official correspondence relating to the firing of attorneys may have been lost because they were conducted on Republican party accounts and not stored properly. "Some official e-mails have potentially been lost and that is a mistake the White House is aggressively working to correct." said Stanzel, a White House spokesman. Stonzel said that they could not rule out the possibility that some of the lost emails dealt with the firing of U.S. attorneys. For example, J. Scott Jennings, an aide to Karl Rove communicated with Justice Department officials "concerning the appointment of Tim Griffin, a former Rove aide, as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, according to e-mails released in March, 2007. For that exchange, Jennings, although working at the White House, used an e-mail account registered to the Republican National Committee, where Griffin had worked as a political opposition researcher."

What did Gonzales say about the dismissal of the attorneys?

He also stood by his decision to dismiss the attorneys, saying "I stand by the decision and I think it was the right decision". Gonzales admitted that "incomplete information was communicated or may have been communicated to Congress" by Justice Department officials, and said that "I never saw documents. We never had a discussion about where things stood."

Overview

History

Presidential transition

Line of succession

See also