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Attorney General of New York
| New York Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | New York Constitution, Article V, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Eric Schneiderman |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | 2010 |
| Compensation: | $151,500 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other New York Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Financial Services Superintendent • Environmental Conservation Commissioner•Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Insurance | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Eric Schneiderman (D). He was elected in 2010.
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of attorney general in Article V, Officers and Civil Departments.
Under Article V, Section I:
|
The comptroller and attorney-general shall be chosen at the same general election as the governor and hold office for the same term, and shall possess the qualifications provided in section 2 of article IV... |
Qualifications
Here is a list of the standard qualifications necessary under New York State Law in order to be considered for the Office of State Attorney General:
- a citizen of the United States
- of the age of not less than thirty years
- who shall have been five years next preceding the election a resident of this state.
Divisions
The attorney general's legal functions are divided into five major divisions:
- Appeals and Opinions
- State Counsel
- Criminal Justice
- Economic Justice
- Social Justice
Elections
New York elects attorneys general in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For New York, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all attorney general election years.
2006
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary [1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Andrew Cuomo (D)
|
53.5% | |||
| Mark Green (D) | 32.4% | |||
| Sean Patrick Maloney (D) | 9.3% | |||
| Charles G. King (D) | 4.8% | |||
| Total votes | 755,008 | |||
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Andrew Cuomo (D)
|
53.4% | |||
| Jeanine Pirro (R) | 36.2% | |||
| Rachel Treichler (Green) | 1.3% | |||
| Christopher B. Garvey (Libertarian) | 0.6% | |||
| Martin Koppel (SW) | 0.2% | |||
| Total votes | 4,697,867 | |||
Vacancies
As set out in Article V of the New York Constitution, vacancies in the office will be filled by the legislature.
Duties
The Attorney General is the "People's Lawyer" and the State's chief legal officer. As such, the duties of the office include:[3]
- Serving as the guardian of the legal rights of the citizens of New York, its organizations and its natural resources
- Providing legal counsel to the Executive branch of State government
- Defending actions and proceedings on behalf of the State
- Charged with the statutory and common law powers to protect consumers and investors, charitable donors, the public health and environment, civil rights, and the rights of wage-earners and businesses across the State
- Overseeing the activities and investigations of the State Organized Crime Task Force and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
In 2012, the Attorney General of New York was paid an estimated $151,500 according to the Council of State Governments.
Contact information
State Office Building
44 Hawley Street, 17th Floor
Binghamton, NY 13901-4433
Phone: 607-721-8771
Toll Free Phone: 800-788-9898
Fax: 607-721-8789
See also
External links
References
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