Attorney General of Ohio
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Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Mike DeWine. He was elected to the position in 2010, after having served in both the US House of Representatives and US Senate.
Authority
The state Constitution establishes the office of the attorney general in Article III, Section 1:
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The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, and an attorney general, who shall be elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, by the electors of the state, and at the places of voting for members of the General Assembly. |
Qualifications
The state Constitution outlines the qualification to hold the office of the attorney general in Article VX, Section 4:
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No person shall be elected or appointed to any office in this state unless possessed of the qualifications of an elector. |
- resident of Ohio
- a qualified elector
- at least 18 years old
Elections
According to Article III, Section 1 of the state Constitution, the attorney general in Ohio is elected every four years, in mid-term election years. For the attorney general in Ohio, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are election years.
Term limits
The attorney general is limited to two successive terms of four years. An individual may seek another term in office after a period of four or more years has elapsed.
Vacancies
Article III, Section 18 of the state Constitution addresses vacancies in state offices. In the event of a vacancy, the governor appoints a successor to serve until the next general election in an even numbered year that occurs more than forty days after the seat becomes vacant.
Duties
The attorney general has three primary duties:
- the lawyer for the State of Ohio and its departments, boards and agencies and is responsible for the collection of debts owed to the state
- enforcement authority in consumer protection, charitable solicitation, antitrust actions and organized crime
- the office works with local law enforcement agencies at their request and provides criminal justice support services
Divisions of the office
There are over two dozen sections within the attorney general's office:
- The Antitrust Section enforces state and federal antitrust laws.
- The Appeals Section represents the state and its agencies in the US Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, and the Ohio Supreme Court.
- The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation assists local police departments and county sheriffs with investigations, analysis, and prosecuting cyber crime. The bureau also maintains Ohio's fingerprint identification system and sex offender registry.
- The Business Counsel Section prepares and review contracts, RFPs, leases, deeds, and other real property issues for the entire office.
- The Charitable Law Section registers and regulates non profit organizations, trains non profit leaders, and provides counsel for the Ohio Racing Commission and the Ohio Liquor Control Commission.
- The Civil Rights Section investigates and prosecutes unlawful discrimination in employment, places of public accommodation, housing, credit, and institutions of higher education. In Ohio, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, familial status, and military status are all protected classes.
- The Collections Enforcement and Revenue Recovery Section collects outstanding debt owed the state, from library fines to income taxes.
- The Constituents Relations Section handles consumer complaints and investigates illegal gambling, health care fraud, and patient abuse.
- The Constitutional Offices Section provides legal counsel to the state's elected officials,the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Ohio General Assembly.
- The Consumer Protection Section enforces the state's consumer protection laws, addressing issues of false advertising, shoddy workmanship, and failure to perform services or to deliver goods.
- The Court of Claims Defense Section litigates on behalf of the state in the Ohio Court of Claims, 10th District Court of Appeals, and the state supreme court in cases involving premises liability, construction, intentional tort, negligence, medical malpractice, property loss or damage, employment discrimination, breach of contract, defamation, personal injury, and wrongful death and imprisonment claims.
- The Crime Victim Section provides assistance to victims of violent crimes, trains professionals who work with these people, and works to increase awareness through crime prevention education programs.
- The Criminal Justice Section prosecutes serious felony crimes, works to uphold death sentences, litigates habeus corpus claims, and represents the state's corrections agencies against lawsuits brought by inmates. There are four units within this office: special prosecutions, capital crimes, habeus, and corrections.
- The Education Section provides counsel and represents the state's public higher education agencies.
- The Employment Section provides legal counsel and representation about employment to all state entities.
- The Environmental Enforcement Section provides legal counsel and representation to the state's departments of environmental protection natural resources.
- The Executive Agencies Section represents the state's executive agencies: administrative services, agriculture, commerce, development, and public safety.
- The Health and Human Services Section represent the state's health-related agencies, boards, and commissions.
- The Health Care Fraud Section handles all claims of Medicaid fraud and workers' compensation fraud.
- The Labor Relations Section enforces Ohio's labor and wage laws and regulations.
- The Opinions Section provides written legal opinions in response to requests from state agencies, county prosecuting attorneys, and the Ohio general assembly.
- The OPOTA Section (Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy) trains law enforcement professionals in service areas that include firearms, crime scene forensics, vehicle operations, and legal issues.
- The Outside Counsel Section is the office through which the attorney general's office contracts with private-sector attorneys in special cases.
- The Public Utilities Section provides legal counsel to the Public Utilities Commission.
- The Taxation Section represents the state's Tax Commissioner.
- The Tobacco Enforcement Section enforces the 1988 Master Settlement Agreement between the state and participating tobacco manufacturers, provides legal advice to recipients of tobacco settlement money, and provides counsel to the state's department of health in its enforcement of Ohio's indoor smoking ban.
- The Transportation Section provides legal services to state's Department of Transportation.
- The Workers Compensation Section provides legal counsel to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Industrial Commission of Ohio.
Compensation
In 2010, the Ohio Attorney General was paid an estimated $109,554 according to the Council of State Governments.[1]
Former officeholders
- Coming soon
Contact Information
Ohio Attorney General
30 East Broad Street, 14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3428
Phone: 614-466-4320
See also
External links
References
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