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Michigan Attorney General

Michigan government official


Summary

Michigan government official

FieldValue
postAttorney General
bodythe State of Michigan
insigniaSeal of Michigan Attorney General.svg
insigniasize150px
insigniacaptionSeal of the attorney general
imageDana Nessel Michigan Is Preparing for 'Every Scenario' on Election Day THE CIRCUS SHOWTIME 0-25 screenshot (cropped).jpg
incumbentDana Nessel
incumbentsinceJanuary 1, 2019
departmentMichigan Department of Attorney General
styleThe Honorable
residencePrivate
appointerPopular Election
termlength4 Years, Renewable Once
formation1837
successionThird
inauguralDaniel LeRoy
website

The attorney general of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and members of the House of Representatives.

Since the Michigan Constitution of 1963 was adopted, the attorney general has served a term of four years. The officeholder is also limited to two terms, for a total of eight possible years of service; ten possible years of service if the officeholder serves two full terms and less than half of one term as a replacement.

“Inasmuch as the office of Attorney General has common law powers as the chief law enforcement officer of the State, [they] may exercise the powers of a peace officer and may appoint special agents having this status to assist [them] in enforcing [their] powers and carrying out [their] functions” (AG Opinion No. 5236,10/20/1977).

Michigan law, MCL 14.32, provides that "[i]t shall be the duty of the attorney general, when required, to give [their] opinion upon all questions of law submitted to [them] by the legislature, or by either branch thereof, or by the governor, auditor general, treasurer or any other state officer . . . ."

Michigan's current attorney general is Democrat Dana Nessel, who was elected in November 2018, and sworn into office on January 1, 2019.

Courtesy title

The attorney general traditionally receives the courtesy title of The Honorable for life.

List of attorneys general of Michigan

Attorney GeneralIn officePolitical party
[[File:Daniel Leroy.png75px]]Daniel LeRoy1836–1837
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Peter Morey1837–1841
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Zephaniah Platt1841–1843
[[File:Chancellor Elon Farnsworth.png75px]]Elon Farnsworth1843–1845
[[File:Bradish-Walker.jpg75px]]Henry N. Walker1845–1847
[[File:Edward Mundy.png75px]]Edward Mundy1847–1848
[[File:George Van Ness Lothrop portrait circa 1910.jpg75px]]George V. N. Lothrop1848–1851
[[File:No image.svg75px]]William Hale1851–1855
[[File:Jacob M. Howard - Brady-Handy.jpg75px]]Jacob M. Howard1855–1860
[[File:Hon. Charles Upson, Mich - NARA - 527337.jpg75px]]Charles Upson1861–1863
[[File:Michigan Attorney General Albert Williams.png75px]]Albert Williams1863–1867
[[File:WilliamLStoughton.jpg75px]]William L. Stoughton1867–1869
[[File:Dwight May.png75px]]Dwight May1869–1873
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Byron D. Ball1873–1874
[[File:Michigan Justice Isaac Marston, The Green Bag, p. 388.jpg75px]]Isaac Marston1874–1875
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Andrew J. Smith1875–1877
[[File:Otto Kirchner.jpg75px]]Otto Kirchner1877–1881
[[File:Jacob J. Van Riper.jpg75px]]Jacob J. Van Riper1881–1885
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Moses Taggart1885–1889
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Stephen V. R. Trowbridge1889–1890
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Benjamin W. Huston1890
[[File:Michigan Attorney General Adolphus A. Ellis.png75px]]Adolphus A. Ellis1891–1895
[[File:Michigan Attorney General Fred A. Maynard.png75px]]Fred A. Maynard1895–1899
[[File:Michigan Attorney General Horace M. Oren.png75px]]Horace M. Oren1899–1903
[[File:Charles A. Blair.png75px]]Charles A. Blair1903–1905
[[File:John E. Bird.jpg75px]]John E. Bird1905–1910
[[File:Franz C. Kuhn.png75px]]Franz C. Kuhn1910–1912
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Roger I. Wykes1912
[[File:Grant Fellows.jpg75px]]Grant Fellows1913–1917
[[File:AlexJGroesbeck.jpg75px]]Alex J. Groesbeck1917–1921
[[File:Merlin Wiley.png75px]]Merlin Wiley1921–1923
[[File:Andrew B. Dougherty.png75px]]Andrew B. Dougherty1923–1926
[[File:Clare Retan.png75px]]Clare Retan1926
[[File:William W. Potter (1869-1940).jpg75px]]William W. Potter1927–1929
[[File:Attorney General Brucker 2.png75px]]Wilber M. Brucker1929–1931
[[File:Paul W. Voorhies.png75px]]Paul W. Voorhies1931–1933
[[File:Michigan Attorney General Patrick H. O’Brien.png75px]]Patrick H. O'Brien1933–1935
[[File:Harry S. Toy.png75px]]Harry S. Toy1935
[[File:David H. Crolwey 1937.png75px]]David H. Crowley1935–1937
[[File:Raymond Wesley Starr.png75px]]Raymond Wesley Starr1937–1939
[[File:Thomas Read Politician.jpg75px]]Thomas Read1939-1940
[[File:Herbert J. Rushton.png75px]]Herbert J. Rushton1941–1944
[[File:John R. Dethmers.png75px]]John R. Dethmers1945–1946
[[File:Foss O. Eldred.png75px]]Foss O. Eldred1946
[[File:Eugene F. Black.png75px]]Eugene F. Black1947–1949
[[File:Stephen John Roth.png75px]]Stephen John Roth1949–1951
[[File:Frank Millard 1953.png75px]]Frank Millard1951–1955
[[File:Thomas M. Kavanagh.png75px]]Thomas M. Kavanagh1955–1957
[[File:Paul L. Adams.png75px]]Paul L. Adams1957–1961
[[File:Frank J. Kelley.jpg75px]]Frank J. Kelley1961–1999
[[File:Jennifer Granholm 5.jpg75px]]Jennifer Granholm1999–2003
[[File:Mike Cox Summer 2009.JPG75px]]Mike Cox2003–2011
[[File:President Donald Trump with Bill Schuette (cropped).jpg75px]]Bill Schuette2011–2019
[[File:Dana Nessel 20190202 110126 (cropped).jpg75px]]Dana Nessel2019–present

Source: Michigan Manual 2003-2004, Chapter IV, Former Officials of Michigan

Wikipedia Source

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