Arkansas Attorney General

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.

Attorney General of Arkansas
Seal of the Attorney General's Office
Incumbent
Tim Griffin
since January 10, 2023 (2023-01-10)
Style
AbbreviationAG
SeatAttorney General's Office,
Little Rock, Arkansas
Term lengthFour 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 holderRobert W. Johnson
FormationFebruary 3, 1843 (1843-02-03)
SalaryUS$130,000 per year
(2016)[1]
Websitearkansasag.gov

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 Johnson18431848Democratic
George C. Watkins18481851Whig, then Democratic
John J. Clendenin18511856Democratic
Thomas Johnson18561858Democratic
J. L. Hollowell18581861Democratic
P. Jordan18611862Confederate
Sam W. Williams18621864Confederate
Charles T. Jordan18641865Republican
R. S. Gantt18651866Republican
R. H. Deadman18661868Republican
J. R. Montgomery18681873Republican
Thomas D. W. Yonley18731874Republican
J. L. WitherspoonMay 1874November 1874Democratic
Simon P. Hughes18741876Democratic
W. F. Henderson18771881Democratic[4]
C. B. Moore18811885Democratic
Daniel Webster Jones18851889Democratic
W. E. Atkinson18891893Democratic
James P. Clarke18931895Democratic
E. B. Kinsworthy18951899Democratic
Jeff Davis18991901Democratic[4]
George W. Murphy19011905Democratic
Robert L. Rogers19051907Democratic
William F. Kirby19071909Democratic
Hal L. Norwood19091913Democratic
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. Bailey19351937Democratic
Jack Holt, Sr.19371943Democratic
Guy E. Williams19431949Democratic
Ike Murry19491953Democratic
Tom Gentry19531957Democratic
Bruce Bennett19571961Democratic
J. Frank Holt1961December 1962Democratic
Jack Holt, Jr. (acting)December 19621963Democratic
Bruce Bennett1963January 10, 1967Democratic
Joe PurcellJanuary 10, 1967January 12, 1971Democratic
Ray ThorntonJanuary 12, 1971January 9, 1973Democratic
Rodney Parham (acting)January 9, 1973January 9, 1973Democratic
Jim Guy TuckerJanuary 9, 1973January 3, 1977Democratic
Billy Roy Wilson (acting)19761977Democratic
Bill ClintonJanuary 3, 1977January 9, 1979Democratic
Steve ClarkJanuary 9, 1979November 1990Democratic
Ron Fields (acting)November 1990December 1990Democratic
Mary Stallcup (acting)December 1990January 15, 1991Democratic
Winston BryantJanuary 15, 1991January 12, 1999Democratic
Mark PryorJanuary 12, 1999January 3, 2003Democratic
Leon Johnson (acting)January 3, 2003January 14, 2003Democratic
Mike BeebeJanuary 14, 2003January 9, 2007Democratic
Dustin McDanielJanuary 9, 2007January 13, 2015Democratic
Leslie RutledgeJanuary 13, 2015January 10, 2023Republican
Tim GriffinJanuary 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. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  4. "Encyclopedia of Arkansas".
  5. "Biennial Report of the Attorney General". 1915.
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