Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma

Drew Edmondson, the 16th and current Attorney General of Oklahoma

Topics in Oklahoma government
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Constitution
State Government:
Oklahoma Legislature House of Representatives Senate Governor of Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General State Treasurer Oklahoma Supreme Court Court on the Judiciary
Federal Government:
Senators James Inhofe (R) Tom Coburn (R) Representatives John Sullivan (R) Dan Boren (D) Frank Lucas (R) Tom Cole (R) Ernest Istook (R)

The Attorney General of Oklahoma is the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma. The Attorney General is responsible for advising the various agencies and departments of the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch of the state government. The office is also responsible for the prosecution of offenses to Oklahoma State Statutes and advocate the basic rights of Oklahoman residents. Oklahoma state seal Source http://usa. ... Oklahoma state seal Source http://usa. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the state of Oklahoma, superseded only by the Federal Constitution. ... The State Capitol of Oklahoma From The South The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the Government of Oklahoma. ... The Oklahoma House of Representatives meets in the State Capitol of Oklahoma The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the larger body of the two houses of the Oklahoma Legislature, the other being the Oklahoma Senate. ... The Oklahoma Senate meets in the State Capitol of Oklahoma The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives, of the Legislature of Oklahoma. ... This is a list of Governors of Oklahoma: Charles N. Haskell Democratic 1907-1911 Lee Cruce Democratic 1911-1915 R. L. Williams Democratic 1915-1919 James B. A. Robertson Democratic 1919-1923 John C. Walton Democratic 1923-1923 Martin E. Trapp Democratic 1923-1927 Henry S. Johnston Democratic 1927-1929... Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma Mary Fallin, the 13th and current Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. ... Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma Susan Savage, the 29th and current Secretary of State of Oklahoma The Secretary of State of Oklahoma is Oklahoma’s chief elections officer and the only appointed core member of the executive branch of the Oklahoma state government. ... Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma Scott Meacham, the 17th and current State Treasurer of Oklahoma The State Treasurer of Oklahoma is the chief custodian of Oklahoma’s cash deposits, monies from bond sales, and other securities and collateral and directs the investments of those assets. ... The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the highest judicial body in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the judicial branch of the Oklahoma state government. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... Oklahoma was admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907. ... James Mountain Inhofe, usually known as Jim Inhofe (born November 17, 1934) is an American politician from Oklahoma. ... Thomas Allen Coburn, M.D. (March 14, 1948) is a medical doctor and U.S. Senator from the state of Oklahoma. ... These are tables of congressional delegations from Oklahoma to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. ... John A. Sullivan (born January 1, 1965) is an American politician. ... Dan Boren (August 2, 1973 - ) is a Democratic U.S. politician from the state of Oklahoma. ... Frank D. Lucas (b. ... Rep. ... Rep. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... Criminal law (also known as penal law) is the body of law that regulates governmental sanctions (such as imprisonment and/or fines) as retaliation for crimes against the social order. ...

The 16th and current Attorney General of Oklahoma is Drew Edmondson. He is currently serving third consecutive term, with his first term beginning in 1995 and his third term set to end in 2007. W.A. Drew Edmondson (born October 12, 1946), U.S. Democratic Party politician, He is the Attorney General of Oklahoma. ...

Constitutional Requirements

As with all offices established by the Oklahoma Constitution in Article V, any person running for the office of Attorney General of Oklahoma must be citizen of the State of Oklahoma, at least thirty-one years of age and a resident of the United States for ten years.

Election

Elections for the Attorney General are held on a four year concurrent basis with the election of the Governor. After all votes are collected, the Legislature of Oklahoma shall convene in the hall of the House of Representatives and the Speaker of the House of Representatives announce the results of the elections in the presence of a majority of each branch of the Legislature. The persons having the highest number of votes for the office of the Attorney General shall be declared duly elected. However, in case two or more shall have an equal and the highest number of votes for the office of Attorney General, the Legislature shall, by joint ballot, choose one of the said persons having an equal and the highest number of votes for the office of Attorney General.

Term(s) of Office

The Attorney General’s four year term begins on the first Monday in January falling the general election. The Constitution of Oklahoma places no limit to the number of terms a candidate may serve in succession or in total. Drew Edmondson, the current Attorney General is serving his third consecutive term and running for reelection to a fourth term in the November 2006 elections.

Powers and Responsibilities

The office of the Attorney General is divided into several divisions:

• The Litigation Section

The civil trial division for the Office of the Attorney General and main function of the office. This section defends and prosecutes civil matters for the state and its agencies, officers and employees. Litigation on behalf of the state is supported in every county, the Oklahoma Supreme Court, every federal district court in the state, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U. S. Supreme Court and in other states and foreign jurisdictions.

The Office of the Attorney General defends state employees when sued for civil rights actions taken during their official duties. A majority of the more complicated and costly trials come from allegations surrounding the hiring, firing and promotion of state employees. The Litigation Section also has the responsibility to handle and direct the major class action litigation filed against institutions, including the challenges to the juvenile justice system. The unit represents state judicial officers, District Attorneys, Legislators, and the executive branch of state government when sued in both their official and individual capacities. The Litigation Section is also responsible for tracking the hiring of private attorneys by other state agencies and reporting the costs to state agencies for services provided by private attorneys.

• The Criminal Appeals Division

As in civil matter, the Attorney General represents the state in the criminal appeals process to ensure that the decisions rendered by judges and juries are upheld in the appellate courts. The unit works to uphold the convictions of the guilty and ensures that the punishment imposed by judges and juries are carried out. Unit attorneys provide quality responses that aid the court in ruling on issues of law and in the development of new legal precedents.

• General Counsel Division

A major function of the Attorney General is to assists public officials in the performance of their duties, seeking to provide the best legal advice possible for the good of the State and its citizens. Most Attorney General Opinions are written by members of the General Counsel Unit. These opinions are binding on state agencies unless overturned by a ruling from a court of competent jurisdiction.

General Counsel Attorneys review Interlocal Agreements and examine and pass on any security issued by a county, municipality, township or other political subdivision. General Counsel Attorneys assist their clients in interpreting and following the Open Records Act and the Open Meeting Act and may assist in investigating and presenting a case against a particular professional licensee, or act as a hearing advisor to the licensure board during discipline proceedings.

In addition to several specialized duties, the General Counsel Unit provides day-to-day legal advice for state agencies, boards and commissions. For many entities, the assistant attorney general is the sole provider of legal advice and services. For others, the assistant attorney general is a liaison available in addition to the agency's in-house counsel.

The Attorney General is unable to give advice to private citizens. Opinions may be provided to the Legislature (or the House or Senate thereof), any state officer (such as the Governor or Secretary of State), board, commission or department.

• The Consumer Protection Division

Provides mediation services to consumers to help resolve complaints against businesses. The Division can also provide information about complaints that have been filed against businesses, and provide publications to help you make good decisions in the marketplace. The Division also brings law enforcement actions against businesses that harm large numbers of Oklahoma consumers through unfair and deceptive practices.

• The Environmental Protection Division

Division active in every area of environmental and natural resources law. Unit personnel protect the state's air, land, water and natural resources from pollution by investigating allegations of pollution and aggressively seeking remedies in both criminal and civil courts.

The unit also provides legal advise and representation to state environmental agencies and chairs the Environmental Crimes Task Force, a collection of state, federal and local agencies united for the purpose of coordinating investigations and assuring efficient use of resources.

• The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit

This division investigates and prosecutes provider fraud in statewide Medicaid programs.

• The Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit

Division charged with controlling fraud in worker’s compensation by: holding claimants accountable for providing truthful information; holding doctors accountable for accurately and completely documenting evidence supporting diagnoses; holding attorneys accountable as officers of the Court to expedite valid claims and prevent and report fraudulent clams or activities; holding insurance companies accountable for reporting suspected fraud, for paying claims without investigation, and for paying fraudulent claims; and holding the Workers' Compensation Court accountable for ensuring the legality and fairness of the disposition of claims.

This mission shall be accomplished by identification and aggressive investigation and prosecution of violations of criminal statutes; by continuous interaction with the public, employers, insurance professionals and other law enforcement officers by providing education and training about workers' compensation fraud; and by analyzing the workers' compensation system in order to make recommendations for amendments and new legislation.

• Victim Services Division

Division that keeps family members informed of the status of capital cases.

The State Capitol of Oklahoma From The South The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the Government of Oklahoma. ... The Oklahoma House of Representatives meets in the State Capitol of Oklahoma The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the larger body of the two houses of the Oklahoma Legislature, the other being the Oklahoma Senate. ... The Oklahoma Senate meets in the State Capitol of Oklahoma The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives, of the Legislature of Oklahoma. ... This is a list of Governors of Oklahoma: Charles N. Haskell Democratic 1907-1911 Lee Cruce Democratic 1911-1915 R. L. Williams Democratic 1915-1919 James B. A. Robertson Democratic 1919-1923 John C. Walton Democratic 1923-1923 Martin E. Trapp Democratic 1923-1927 Henry S. Johnston Democratic 1927-1929... Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma Susan Savage, the 29th and current Secretary of State of Oklahoma The Secretary of State of Oklahoma is Oklahoma’s chief elections officer and the only appointed core member of the executive branch of the Oklahoma state government. ...

Oath of Office

"I, ........., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, and that I will not, knowingly, receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing, for the performance or nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office, other than the compensation allowed by law; I further swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge my duties as Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma to the best of my ability."

Office-Holders

Robert Harlan Henry (born 1953) is a U.S. judge and politician. ... W.A. Drew Edmondson (born October 12, 1946), U.S. Democratic Party politician, He is the Attorney General of Oklahoma. ...

See also

• Official Attorney General of Oklahoma home page