Attorney General of Kentucky
Encyclopedia
The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution
. (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, he serves several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer (KRS 15.700), and the state's chief law officer (KRS 15.020). As the chief prosecutor, the Attorney General is the Chairman of the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council, which supervises the prosecutors of Kentucky (KRS 15.700, KRS 15.705). As chief law officer, he writes opinions to advise government officials and agencies concerning the law. (KRS 15.020). The Attorney General holds an ex officio seat on various Kentucky state boards and agencies.
The Attorney General
of Kentucky is elected for a four-year term in the same year other statewide officers are elected, rather than being appointed as in some states such as Alaska. A 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution permits the Attorney General of Kentucky to serve two consecutive terms. (Ky.Const. § 93). The Attorney General appoints a deputy and various Assistants to the Attorney General, who have the power to act on his behalf. (KRS 15.100(1).
The current Attorney General of Kentucky is Jack Conway
, a Democrat
who was elected on November 6, 2007.
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office is divided into the following divisions:
Kentucky Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more...
. (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, he serves several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer (KRS 15.700), and the state's chief law officer (KRS 15.020). As the chief prosecutor, the Attorney General is the Chairman of the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council, which supervises the prosecutors of Kentucky (KRS 15.700, KRS 15.705). As chief law officer, he writes opinions to advise government officials and agencies concerning the law. (KRS 15.020). The Attorney General holds an ex officio seat on various Kentucky state boards and agencies.
The Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Kentucky is elected for a four-year term in the same year other statewide officers are elected, rather than being appointed as in some states such as Alaska. A 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution permits the Attorney General of Kentucky to serve two consecutive terms. (Ky.Const. § 93). The Attorney General appoints a deputy and various Assistants to the Attorney General, who have the power to act on his behalf. (KRS 15.100(1).
The current Attorney General of Kentucky is Jack Conway
Jack Conway (politician)
John William “Jack” Conway is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a Democrat and has served as the Attorney General of Kentucky since 2008. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was a candidate in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for , narrowly losing to Anne...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who was elected on November 6, 2007.
List of Attorneys General of Kentucky
- George NicholasGeorge NicholasGeorge Nicholas was the first professor of law at Transylvania University in Kentucky. He was also briefly attorney general of Kentucky, and had been several times a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He was the son of Robert C. Nicholas, Sr.; his brothers included Wilson Cary Nicholas...
, 1792-1792 - John BreckinridgeJohn Breckinridge (1760-1806)John Breckinridge was a United States Senator and Attorney General. He was the progenitor of the Breckinridge political family.-Early Life in Virginia:...
, 1793-1797
- John Breckinridge previously served in the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
including as Speaker of the House; later served in the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and then as Attorney General of the United States- James Blair, 1797-1820
- Joseph M. White, 1820
- Ben HardinBenjamin HardinBenjamin Hardin was a United States Representative from Kentucky. Martin Davis Hardin was his cousin. He was born at the Georges Creek settlement on the Monongahela River, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and then moved with his parents to Washington County, Kentucky in 1788...
, 1820-1821 - Solomon P. SharpSolomon P. SharpSolomon Porcius Sharp was attorney general of Kentucky and a member of the United States Congress and the Kentucky General Assembly. His murder at the hands of Jereboam O...
, 1821-1825
- Solomon P. Sharp previously served in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and served in the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
before and after serving as Attorney General of Kentucky- Frederick W. S. Grayson, 1825-1825
- James W. Denny, 1825-1832
- Charles MoreheadCharles S. MoreheadCharles Slaughter Morehead was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, and served as the 20th Governor of Kentucky...
, 1832-1838 - Owen G. Cotes, 1838-1849
- Madison Conyers Johnson, 1849
- James HarlanJames Harlan (congressman)James Harlan was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Mercer County, Kentucky, Harlan attended school before working as a clerk in a dry goods store from 1817 to 1821. Deciding to embark upon a legal career, he read law under the guidance of a local judge before gaining admission to the bar...
, 1849-1859 - Andrew J. James, 1859-1861
- John M. HarlanJohn Marshall HarlanJohn Marshall Harlan was a Kentucky lawyer and politician who served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court. He is most notable as the lone dissenter in the Civil Rights Cases , and Plessy v...
, 1861-1865
- John Marshall Harlan later became an associate justice of Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
- John Rodman, 1865-1875
- Thomas Edward Moss, 1875-1879
- Parker Watkins HardinParker Watkins HardinParker Watkins Hardin was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From 1879 to 1888, he served as Attorney General of Kentucky. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Kentucky in 1891, 1895 and 1899....
, 1879-1889 - William J. Hendrick, 1889-1896
- William S. TaylorWilliam S. TaylorWilliam Sylvester Taylor was the 33rd Governor of Kentucky. He was initially declared the winner of the disputed gubernatorial election of 1899, but the Kentucky General Assembly reversed the election results, giving the victory to his opponent, William Goebel...
, 1896-1900 - R. J. Breckinridge, 1900-1902
- C. J. Pratt, 1902-1904
- N. B. Hays, 1904-1908
- James Breathitt, 1908-1912
- James Garnett, 1912-1916
- M. M. LoganM. M. LoganMarvel Mills Logan , a Democrat, served as a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky.Mills was born on a farm near Brownsville, Edmonson County, Kentucky. He taught school for two years and also conducted a training school for teachers. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in...
, 1916-1917
- M. M. Logan later became a member of the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
- Charles H. Morris, 1917-1920
- Charles I. DawsonCharles I. DawsonCharles I. Dawson was a lawyer and politician from Kentucky who ran several high profile campaigns as the nominee of the Republican party, and served for ten years as a United States federal judge....
, 1920-1923
- Charles I. Dawson previously served in the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
and as Commonwealth's AttorneyCommonwealth's AttorneyCommonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes in Kentucky and Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney or State's Attorney....
and County AttorneyCounty attorneyA county attorney in many areas of the United States is the chief legal officer for a county or local judicial district. It is usually an elected position...
and later served as a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of KentuckyUnited States District Court for the Western District of KentuckyThe United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is the federal district court for the western part of the state of Kentucky....
- T. B. McGregor, 1923-1924
- Frank E. Daugherty, 1924-1928
- James W. Cammack, 1928-1932
- Bailey P. Wooton, 1932-1936
- B. M. Vincent, 1936-1937
- Hubert Meredith, 1937-1944
- Eldon S. Dummit, 1944-1948
- Alvarado E. Funk, 1948-1952
- J. D. Buckman, Jr., 1952-1956
- Jo M. Ferguson, 1956-1960
- John Bayne Breckinridge, 1960-1964
- Robert Matthews, 1964-1968
- John Bayne Breckinridge, 1968-1972
- John Bayne Breckinridge was later elected to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Central Kentucky- Ed W. Hancock, 1972-1976
- Ed W. Hancock was later elected Auditor of Public Accounts
- Robert F. Stephens, 1976-1979
- Robert F. Stephens is a former Lexington-Fayette County Judge and later became Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Kentucky Supreme CourtKentucky Supreme CourtThe Kentucky Supreme Court was created by a 1975 constitutional amendment and is the state supreme court of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to that the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky...
- Steve BeshearSteve BeshearSteven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
,(acting Attorney General 1979-1980), 1980-1984
- Steve Beshear
- Steve Beshear is a former member of the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
; he later became Lieutenant Governor of KentuckyLieutenant Governor of KentuckyThe office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
and is the current Governor of KentuckyGovernor of KentuckyThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
, having been elected in 2007- David L. ArmstrongDavid L. ArmstrongDavid L. Armstrong was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1999 to 2003.Armstrong was born in Hope, Arkansas. Prior to becoming mayor, he had served as Jefferson County Judge/Executive since 1989. He was raised in Madison, Indiana...
, 1984-1988
- David L. Armstrong
- David L. Armstrong is a former Jefferson CountyJefferson County, KentuckyAs of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
Commonwealth's AttorneyCommonwealth's AttorneyCommonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes in Kentucky and Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney or State's Attorney....
; he later became Jefferson County Judge Executive and Mayor of Louisville- Frederic J. Cowan, 1988-1992
- Frederic J. Cowan had served previously in the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
; he is currently serving as a Kentucky Circuit CourtKentucky Circuit CourtsThe Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky.The Circuit Courts are trial courts with original jurisdiction in cases involving capital offenses, felonies, land disputes, contested probates of wills, and civil lawsuits in disputes with an...
Judge- Chris Gorman, 1992-1996
- Chris Gorman served previously as a Jefferson County Commissioner
- Ben ChandlerBen ChandlerAlbert Benjamin "Ben" Chandler III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, 1996-2003
- Ben Chandler
- Ben Chandler served previously as Auditor of Public Accounts and currently serves in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
- Greg StumboGreg StumboGregory D. "Greg" Stumbo is the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Stumbo, a member of the Democratic Party, is a former Kentucky Attorney General from 2003 to 2007.-Early Career:...
, 2003-2007
- Greg Stumbo
- Greg Stumbo served previously in the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of RepresentativesThe Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
including as Majority LeaderMajority leaderIn U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
. After his term as Attorney General expired, Stumbo was re-elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives, where he currently serves as Speaker of the House.- Jack ConwayJack Conway (politician)John William “Jack” Conway is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a Democrat and has served as the Attorney General of Kentucky since 2008. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was a candidate in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for , narrowly losing to Anne...
, 2007-Present
- Jack Conway
External links
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office is divided into the following divisions:
- Administrative Hearings Division
- Child Support Enforcement Commission (CSEC)
- Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI)
- Medicaid Fraud Division
- Office of Civil and Environmental Law
- Office of Consumer Protection
- Office of Criminal Appeals
- Office of Rate Intervention
- Prosecutors Advisory Council
- Special Prosecutions Division
- Uninsured Employers' Fund
- Office for Victims Advocacy