Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Attorney General of California

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Style
  
The Honorable

Salary
  
$151,127

Attorney General of California

Term length
  
Four years, two term limit

Inaugural holder
  
Edward J. C. Kewen1849

Formation
  
California Constitution

Website
  
Office of the Attorney General

The Attorney General of California is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (California Constitution, Article V, Section 13.) The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice. The Department employs over 1,100 attorneys (meaning that the AG supervises the governmental equivalent of a law firm much larger than the vast majority of U.S. private law firms) and 3,700 non-attorney employees.

Contents

The 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.

Duties

According to the state Constitution and the California 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 enforcement.
  • Acts as the chief counsel in state litigation.
  • Oversees law enforcement agencies, including District Attorneys and Sheriffs.

    • History

    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. Previously, the attorney general lacked jurisdiction over matters in the jurisdiction of locally-elected district attorneys and sheriffs. Warren went on to become Attorney General himself in 1938 where he reorganized state's law enforcement into districts.

    Notable attorneys general from California

    For a comprehensive list, see List of Attorneys General of California.

  • Ulysses S. Webb – Longest serving at 37 years
  • Earl Warren – Chief Justice of the United States (1953–69); Governor of California (1943–53)
  • Pat Brown – Governor of California (1959–67)
  • Stanley Mosk – Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
  • Dan Lungren – U.S. Representative (1979–89; 2005–13)
  • George Deukmejian – Governor of California (1983–91)
  • Jerry Brown – California Secretary of State (1971–75), Governor of California (1975–83; 2011–present) Mayor, Oakland California (1999–2007)
  • Kamala Harris – U.S. Senator (2017–present)
  • Xavier Becerra – U.S. Representative (1993–2017)

    • References

    Attorney General of California Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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