Attorney General of Massachusetts
| Massachusetts Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Title 2, Chapter 12, Section 1 of the General Laws of Massachusetts |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Martha Coakley |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | January 17, 2007 |
| Compensation: | $133,644 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other Massachusetts Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs • Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development • Public Utilities Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current Massachusetts Attorney General is Martha Coakley. When Coakley took her oath of office on January 17, 2007 as the Attorney General of Massachusetts, she became the first woman in state history to serve in the office. Her term expires in 2014.[1]
Authority
The position of attorney general is established in Title 2, Chapter 12, Section 1 of the General Laws of Massachusetts:
"There shall be a department of the attorney general, under his supervision and control, organized as provided in this chapter."[2]
Qualifications
Here is a list of the standard qualifications necessary under Massachusetts State Law in order to be considered for the Office of State Attorney General:
- Candidates for office must be:
- eighteen years of age
- a citizen of the United States for at least five years
- "The attorney general shall be a member of the bar of the commonwealth" [3] (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 12, § 1)
Elections
Massachusetts elects attorneys general in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Massachusetts, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all attorney general election years.
2010
| Massachusetts Attorney General, General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Martha Coakley Incumbent |
62.8% | 1,417,538 | |
| Republican | James P. McKenna | 37.2% | 839,274 | |
| Total Votes | 2,256,812 | |||
| Election Results Via: [1] | ||||
Vacancies
If the office of the attorney general becomes vacant during annual or special session of the general court, the public elects a successor, otherwise, "it shall be supplied by the governor by appointment, with the advice and consent of the council."[4]
Duties
- Ballot Text and Legality:
Unlike most states, who mandate that proponents of an initiative must first file with the Secretary of Commonwealth, Massachusetts guidelines have a ballot first be submitted to the attorney general.
At least 10 qualified voters must submit their contact information, certificate of voter registration and the full text of the ballot.
The attorney general bears the responsibility of determining whether the petition is an acceptable subject of the initiative, and if so, he or she prepares a concise summary and returns this summary and the proposed law to the petitioners. If the attorney general determines the petition relates to an excluded matter, the petition is disallowed.
If the ballot passes review it will then be returned to the proponents who may then submit it to the secretary of commonwealth (also known as the secretary of state).
Divisions
There are five bureaus in the Attorney General's Office: Executive, Business and Labor Protection, Criminal, Government, and Public Protection.[1]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2012
In 2012, the Attorney General of Massachusetts was paid an estimated $133,644 according to the Council of State Governments.[5]
Contact information
One Exchange Place
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: 508-792-7600
Toll Free Phone: 617-727-4765
Fax: 508-795-1991
E-mail: ago@ago.state.ma.us[1]
See also
- Martha Coakley, Attorney General of Massachusetts
- Attorney General
- Governor of Massachusetts
- Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- Secretary of State for Massachusetts
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office "About the Office" Accessed January 17, 2013
- ↑ Massachusetts Legislature, "General Laws - Title 2, Chapter 12, Section 1," accessed January 17, 2013
- ↑ The General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 12, § 1
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmacon - ↑ The Council of State Governments,"The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," retrieved June 25, 2011
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