why does illinois have states attorney and an attorney general?

What are the responsibilities of the Illinois Attorney General?

The Attorney General is the state’s chief legal officer and is responsible for protecting the public interest of the state and its people. The job of the Attorney General is to: Advocate on behalf of all of the people of Illinois; Work with members of the General Assembly for new laws; Represent state government in litigation; and . Litigate to ensure state and federal laws are followed and …

What is an attorneys general and what do they do?

The effect of the establishment of the Office of Attorney General under the 1870 Constitution, not fully recognized for several decades, was the creation of an office with broad powers to represent and safeguard the interests of the People of this State. The Attorney General has been determined, in decisions of the supreme court, to have not just those duties and powers that …

What is the history of the Illinois Attorney General?

The Attorney General’s office has long been a leader in consumer protection efforts, and Attorney General Raoul has continued to champion those efforts to protect Illinois consumers. Attorney General has partnered with federal, state and local law enforcement entities in order to shut down and stop bad actors who prey on Illinois residents.

What is the difference between the state Attorney General and prosecutor?

Nov 19, 2018 · The attorney general must assist in the prosecution of any individual when the interest of the people of Illinois is at stake or when the state’s attorney requests the attorney general to do so. 5. To investigate alleged violations of all the statutes that the attorney general has jurisdiction over. 6.

Whats the difference between the Attorney General and the States attorney?

A lawyer who represents the state in local criminal cases is usually referred to as the "District Attorney," although, depending on your state, these attorneys can go by other titles such as "Prosecuting Attorney" or "County Attorney." The Attorney General of a state typically represents the state in civil cases, but ...

Does Illinois have a Attorney General?

The Attorney General is the state's chief legal officer and is responsible for protecting the public interest of the state and its people. Litigate to ensure state and federal laws are followed and respected. The Attorney General provides services that cover a broad range of issues, reaching every corner of Illinois.

What does the state's attorney do in Illinois?

(a) The duty of each State's Attorney shall be: (1) To commence and prosecute all actions, suits, indictments and prosecutions, civil and criminal, in the circuit court for the county, in which the people of the State or county may be concerned.

Is the attorney general the states lawyer?

The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States....United States Attorney GeneralMember ofCabinet National Security CouncilReports toPresident of the United States15 more rows

What does the Illinois attorney general do for consumers?

Attorney General Kwame Raoul's Consumer Protection Division protects Illinois consumers and businesses victimized by fraud, deception, and unfair business practices.

Who is the attorney for the state of Illinois and the people of Illinois?

Attorney General Kwame RaoulAttorney General Kwame Raoul (Democrat) was sworn in as the 42nd Attorney General of Illinois in January 2019. Born in Chicago to Haitian immigrants, Raoul brings a lifetime of legal and policy experience, advocacy and public service to the Office of the Attorney General.

How does the Illinois state attorney get their job?

Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage. Based in Chicago and Springfield, he or she is responsible for providing legal counsel for the various state agencies including the Governor of Illinois and Illinois General Assembly.

What are the duties of the attorney general?

The principal duties of the Attorney General are to:Represent the United States in legal matters.Supervise and direct the administration and operation of the offices, boards, divisions, and bureaus that comprise the Department.More items...•Oct 8, 2021

How much does a Cook County state's attorney make?

Cook County State's AttorneyState's Attorney of Cook CountyIncumbent Kim Foxx since December 1, 2016Term length4 yearsSalary$192,789 (2014)WebsiteOffice of the Cook County State's Attorney

Who is the state attorney of Illinois?

Kwame Raoul (Democratic Party)Illinois / Attorney generalKwame Raoul is an American lawyer and politician who has been the 42nd Attorney General of Illinois since 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Raoul represented the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 2004 to 2019. Wikipedia

Who was the last US attorney general?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentLoretta Lynch2015-2017Eric Holder2009-2015Michael B. Mukasey2007-200982 more rows

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

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.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

The Attorney General also functioned as a circuit attorney in the circuit that he was to designate under section 7 of the 1819 Act. [In the event of a vacancy, a successor Attorney General was to reside and prosecute in the circuit of his predecessor to avoid interference with existing circuit attorney appointments.]

When was the Attorney General appointed?

The Constitution of 1818, adopted on August 26, 1818, by a Constitutional Convention held in Kaskaskia, authorized the General Assembly to appoint an Attorney General and to regulate his duties by law. (Ill.

What is the purpose of section 6?

In section 6, the Attorney General was given the right to call upon the State's Attorneys to assist in "the prosecution, or in the defence of any suit in the supreme court, or the trial of any impeachment which it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to attend to.".

What is the 6th branch?

Sixth - - To prepare, when necessary, proper drafts for contracts and other writings, relating to subjects in which the state is interested. Seventh - - To give written opinions, when requested by either branch of the general assembly, or any committee thereof, upon constitutional or legal questions.

What is the 12th act?

Twelfth - - To attend to and perform any other duty which may, from time to time, be required of him by law. " (Laws 1871-2, p. 170.) This Act was reenacted verbatim, effective July 1, 1874, as part of the comprehensive revision of Illinois statutory law that resulted in the Illinois Revised Statutes.

When did the Constitutional Convention meet?

During the Constitutional Convention, which met in Springfield from June 7 until August 31, 1847, language which would have created an elected constitutional office of Attorney General had been suggested by the select committee on the Judiciary for inclusion in the Judicial Article. That language provided as follows:

What is the office of the Attorney General?

The attorney general’s office generally focuses on crimes in which the state itself a victim or a defendant or in which a state officer acting in his or her official capacity is the defendant. 1. There are situations in which both the attorney general and the state's attorney have jurisdiction over a case.

What does "defending" mean in the law?

3. To defend any state officer acting in his or her official capacity in a proceeding or acting brought against them. The attorney general does not have a duty to represent a state officer who was acting in his or her personal capacity.

What is the Open Meetings Act?

Open Meetings Act. The methamphetamine crisis. When necessary, the attorney general’s office also works with state and local law enforcement agencies on investigating these issues. 1 Illinois Attorney General’s Office, About the Office of the Attorney General. Back to table of contents ⤴.

Is Kwame Raoul a Democrat?

Following the November 2018 election, Kwame Raoul is the attorney general-elect of Illinois. Like Madigan, he is a Democrat. He will assume office on January 14, 2019. Back to table of contents ⤴.

What is the Attorney General's Office looking into?

In addition to investigating criminal operations, the attorney general’s office looks into scams targeting seniors, violations of the state’s clean air and water laws and evaluates whether mergers break antitrust laws. On April 26, voters in both parties will have a choice for attorney general. Do the voters prefer a candidate with political ...

Who is the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners?

Shapiro is the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and was appointed to be the chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency [PCCD] by Gov. Tom Wolf about a year ago.

Who is Joe Peters?

Republican candidate Joe Peters was a Scranton police officer, an organized crime and drug prosecutor in the attorney general's office for 15 years, a federal mafia prosecutor and oversaw a White House drug trafficking program. He most recently served as Kathleen Kane’s spokesman for about eight months in 2013 and 2014.

What is the Roe v Wade ruling?

This was the 1992 landmark abortion ruling that upheld the basic tenet of Roe v. Wade that a woman has the right to an abortion. It established a new “undue burden” test, which struck down part of the Pennsylvania law which required wives to notify their husbands before getting an abortion.

How are state attorneys elected?

In general, State's Attorneys are elected by the people they represent. Their duties are spelled out in the laws of the local governments they represent, and they're held accountable by the voters for how well they do their jobs and how well their performance matches up with the local politics of the area. But a State's Attorney hardly ever does ...

What is an assistant state attorney?

Assistant State's Attorneys, also known as Deputy State's Attorneys,are the ones who actually appear in court, file the legal briefs and interview witnesses. The State's Attorney, on the other hand, is in charge of policy, staffing and running the office, and making decisions about certain high-profile cases. Advertisement.

What is a prosecutor?

A State's Attorney is the most common term for a prosecutor, someone who represents the people in criminal and civil legal matters. But while the most iconic image of a State's Attorney is ...

What is the job of a criminal prosecutor?

Criminal prosecutions are the chief duty of most State's Attorney offices. In many states, such as Michigan, criminal prosecutions follow a predetermined series of steps [source: Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan ]. First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation.

What is an arraignment in court?

An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea. Depending on the type and severity of a crime, there can be several pretrial hearings. At some point during these hearings, a plea bargain may be offered to induce the suspect to enter a guilty plea. Advertisement.

How many judicial districts does the US have?

One U.S. Attorney is assigned to each of 93 federal judicial districts around the country and is the top law enforcement official for the federal government in those districts. From there, the attorney will prosecute criminal cases, represent the federal government and collect debts owed to the federal government.

What happens before a trial?

Before a trial takes place, the process of discovery takes place, at which the State's Attorney and the defense attorney share information they intend to introduce as evidence at trial.