Arkansas Attorney General

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Attorney General of Arkansas
Seal of the Attorney General of Arkansas.png
Seal of the Attorney General's Office
Rep Tim Griffin Official Photo (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Tim Griffin
since January 10, 2023 (2023-01-10)
Style
AbbreviationAG
Seat Attorney General's Office,
Little Rock, Arkansas
Term length Four years, renewable once (Seventy-third Amendment to the Arkansas Constitution of 1874)
Constituting instrumentAct 1 of 1843
PrecursorArkansas Attorney for the Fifth Judicial District
Inaugural holder Robert W. Johnson
FormationFebruary 3, 1843
(182 years ago)
 (1843-02-03)
Salary US$130,000 per year
(2016) [1]
Website arkansasag.gov

The attorney general of Arkansas, usually known simply as the attorney general (AG), is one of Arkansas's seven constitutional officers. The officeholder serves as the state's top law enforcement officer and consumer advocate.

Contents

History

The attorney general was not originally a state constitutional officer but rather was created by Act 1 of 1843, which designated the Arkansas attorney for the Fifth Judicial District as the attorney general. The first attorney general of Arkansas was Robert W. Johnson. The Arkansas Constitution of 1868 made the post elective, though it required only that the attorney general “perform such duties as are now, or may hereafter, be prescribed by law.” This was reaffirmed in the constitution of 1874. Act 131 of 1911 laid out four general responsibilities of the attorney general's office: 1) to give opinions to state officers and agencies “upon any constitutional or other legal question that may concern the official action of said officers”; 2) to defend the interest of the state in federal court and representing all state officers, boards, and commissions in litigation involving the interests of the state; 3) to furnish any board or commission an opinion as to the validity of the title on any land they seek to purchase; and 4) to make a biennial report to the governor and the Arkansas General Assembly on all transactions of the attorney general's office. [2]

Role and duties

The attorney general represents state agencies and commissions in courts of law, giving opinions on issues presented by legislators and prosecutors, handling criminal matters and habeas corpus matters in the state, and advocating for citizens on issues pertaining to the environment, antitrust, and consumer protection. [3]

List of attorneys general

ImageNameTook officeLeft officeParty
Robert Ward Johnson.jpg Robert Ward Johnson 18431848Democratic
George C. Watkins.jpg George C. Watkins 18481851Whig, then Democratic
John J. Clendenin 18511856Democratic
Thomas Johnson 18561858Democratic
J. L. Hollowell18581861Democratic
P. Jordan18611862Confederate
Sam W. Williams18621864Confederate
Charles T. Jordan18641865Republican
R. S. Gantt18651866Republican
R. H. Deadman18661868Republican
J. R. Montgomery 18681873Republican
Thomas D. W. Yonley 18731874Republican
J. L. WitherspoonMay 1874November 1874Democratic
Simon P. Hughes, Jr - Gouverneur von Arkansas.jpg Simon P. Hughes 18741876Democratic
W. F. Henderson18771881Democratic [4]
C. B. Moore18811885Democratic
Daniel Webster Jones (governor).jpg Daniel Webster Jones 18851889Democratic
W. E. Atkinson18891893Democratic
AR Clarke John.jpg James P. Clarke 18931895Democratic
E. B. Kinsworthy 18951899Democratic
Jeff Davis.jpg Jeff Davis 18991901Democratic [4]
George Washington Murphy (1841-1920).png George W. Murphy 19011905Democratic
Robert L. Rogers19051907Democratic
William Fosgate Kirby.jpg William F. Kirby 19071909Democratic
Hal L. Norwood 19091913Democratic
William L. Moose [5] 19131915Democratic [4]
Wallace Davis19151917Democratic
John D. Arbuckle19171921Democratic
J. S. Utley19211925Democratic
W. H. Applegate19251929Democratic
Hal L. Norwood19291934Democratic
Walter L. Pope19341935Democratic
Carl E. Bailey (cropped).jpg Carl E. Bailey 19351937Democratic
Jack Holt, Sr.19371943Democratic
Guy E. Williams19431949Democratic
Ike Murry19491953Democratic
Tom Gentry (politician).webp Tom Gentry 19531957Democratic
Bruce Bennett.png Bruce Bennett 19571961Democratic
J. Frank Holt1961December 1962Democratic
Jack Holt, Jr. (acting)December 19621963Democratic
Bruce Bennett.png Bruce Bennett 1963January 10, 1967Democratic
Joe Purcell (1975).png Joe Purcell January 10, 1967January 12, 1971Democratic
RayThornton.jpg Ray Thornton January 12, 1971January 9, 1973Democratic
Rodney Parham (acting)January 9, 1973January 9, 1973Democratic
Jim Guy Tucker.jpg Jim Guy Tucker January 9, 1973January 3, 1977Democratic
Billy Roy Wilson (acting)19761977Democratic
Bill Clinton (37899881792) (3x4a).jpg Bill Clinton January 3, 1977January 9, 1979Democratic
Steve Clark January 9, 1979November 1990Democratic
Ron Fields (acting)November 1990December 1990Democratic
Mary Stallcup (acting)December 1990January 15, 1991Democratic
Winston Bryant (cropped).png Winston Bryant January 15, 1991January 12, 1999Democratic
Mark Pryor, official photo, color headshot smiling.jpg Mark Pryor January 12, 1999January 3, 2003Democratic
Leon Johnson (acting)January 3, 2003January 14, 2003Democratic
MikeBeebe2009 (3x4a).JPG Mike Beebe January 14, 2003January 9, 2007Democratic
Dustin McDaniel 2010.jpg Dustin McDaniel January 9, 2007January 13, 2015Democratic
Leslie Rutledge (25475720912) (1).jpg Leslie Rutledge January 13, 2015January 10, 2023Republican
Rep Tim Griffin Official Photo (cropped).jpg Tim Griffin January 10, 2023presentRepublican

See also

References

  1. Council of State Governments. "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries - 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  2. "Office of Attorney General". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Little Rock, Arkansas: Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. January 16, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  3. "Arkansas Attorney General". State of Arkansas. Archived from the original on December 11, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Encyclopedia of Arkansas".
  5. "Biennial Report of the Attorney General". 1915.
Official
General information