Does your state lean blue or lean red? Check out our new report, highlighting partisan control of state government from 1992-2013.
Attorney General of Rhode Island
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Peter Kilmartin. He was first elected in November 2010 and assumed office in January 2011.
Authority
The office of attorney general, with the state attorney general as its head, is established in the Rhode Island Constitution and Section 42-9-1 of the Rhode Island general laws.
§ 42-9-1:
| (a) There shall be a department of the attorney general. The head of the department shall be the attorney general who shall have supervision over the department and shall appoint thirty (30) assistant attorneys general. |
Qualifications
According to the Rhode Island Secretary of State, "if you are a registered voter who is 18 years of age or older, you may run for any political office in Rhode Island other than senator in Congress."[1]
- at least 18 years old
- a registered voter
Elections
Article IV, Section 1 of the state constitution specifies that the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and treasurer are to be elected every 4 years during the November general election and shall hold their offices beginning the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election, until their successors are elected and qualified. The offices are elected in mid-term election years (2010, 2014, 2018, et cetera).
Term limits
According to Article IV, Section 1 of the state constitution, no person may hold the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, or treasurer for more than 2 consecutive four-year terms.
Vacancies
Article IV, Section 4 of the state constitution addresses vacancies. In the event of a vacancy in the office of secretary of state, attorney general, or treasurer, the Rhode Island General Assembly elects a successor to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. If the vacancy occurs when the general assembly is not in session, the governor appoints a person to fill the vacancy to serve until a successor is elected by the general assembly.
Duties
In their role as the state's chief legal officer, the attorney general is charged with enhancing the economic security of Rhode Island, protecting the public safety of its communities, and restoring public trust in state government by fighting corruption. Specific duties include:
- prosecuting all felony criminal cases and misdemeanor appeals
- prosecuting all misdemeanor cases brought by state law enforcement action in the state's district courts
- represents all state agencies, departments, and commissions in litigation
- initiates legal action when necessary to protect the interests of Rhode Island citizens[2]
The office of the attorney general is responsible for enforcing the provisions of §§ 12-1-4 through 12-1-12 of the Rhode Island general laws and operates the State Bureau of Criminal Identification.
Divisions
The office of attorney general is divided into three divisions:
- Administration
- Civil
- Criminal
In addition to these divisions, there are four budget programs within the office:
- Criminal
- Civil
- General
- Bureau of Criminal Identification[2]
Compensation
In 2010, the Attorney General of Rhode Island was paid an estimated $105,416 according to the Council of State Governments.[3]
Contact Information
Office of the Attorney General
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401-274-4400
See also
- Patrick Lynch, Attorney General of Rhode Island
- Governor of Rhode Island
- Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Secretary of State
External links
- Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General
- Rhode Island Attorney General on Twitter
- Rhode Island Attorney General's channel on YouTube
References
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
