Connecticut Attorney General

The Connecticut attorney general is the state attorney general of Connecticut.

Connecticut Attorney General
Seal of the attorney general
Incumbent William Tong since January 9, 2019
Department of Law
Style	The Honorable
Term length	Four years No limit
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Connecticut, Executive Law
Formation	1897
First holder	Charles Phelps
Succession	Election by joint session of Connecticut General Assembly
Website	portal.ct.gov/AG

The attorney general is elected to a four-year term. According to state statute, eligibility for the office requires being "an attorney at law of at least ten years' active practice at the bar of this state."^[1] A State Supreme Court ruling from 2010, Bysiewicz v. Dinardo Et Al. (SC 18612) attempted to clarify this statute.^[2] The court's ruling sets a de facto 10-year residency requirement for candidates and bars those with no litigation experience, although "litigation experience" was left undefined.^[3] These requirements are stronger than other states in the area. In New York, the only requirements are being a resident for five years and at least 30 years old. In Massachusetts, the only requirements are being admitted to the state bar and having US citizenship for five years.^[4]

The Office of the Attorney General was officially created by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1897. The current attorney general is William Tong, a Democrat serving since January 9, 2019.

Unlike other states, the Connecticut Attorney General is not responsible for criminal prosecution in Connecticut. In Connecticut the Attorney General generally exercises only civil jurisdiction. The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of all criminal matters in the State of Connecticut overseen by the Chief State's Attorney.^[5]

List of attorneys general

Parties

  Democratic (12)   Republican (13)

Image	Name	Town	Political party	Term
	Charles Phelps	Vernon	Republican	1899–1903
	William A. King	Windham	Republican	1903–1907
	Marcus H. Holcomb	Southington	Republican	1907–1910
	John H. Light	Norwalk	Republican	1910–1915
	George E. Hinman	Windham	Republican	1915–1919
	Frank E. Healy	Windsor Locks	Republican	1919–1927
	Benjamin W. Alling	New Britain	Republican	1927–1931
	Warren B. Burrows	Groton	Republican	1931–1935
	Edward J. Daly	Hartford	Democratic	1935–1937
	Charles J. McLaughlin	West Hartford	Democratic	1937–1938
	Dennis P. O'Connor	Hartford	Democratic	1938–1939
	Francis A. Pallotti	Hartford	Republican	1939–1945
	William L. Hadden	West Haven	Republican	1945–1951
	George C. Conway	Guilford	Republican	1951–1953
	William L. Beers	New Haven	Republican	1953–1955
	John J. Bracken	Hartford	Republican	1955–1959
	Albert L. Coles	Bridgeport	Democratic	1959–1963
	Harold M. Mulvey	New Haven	Democratic	1963–1968
	Robert K. Killian	Hartford	Democratic	1968–1975
	Carl R. Ajello	Ansonia	Democratic	1975–1983
	Joe Lieberman	Stamford	Democratic	1983–1989
	Clarine Nardi Riddle	New Haven	Democratic	1989–1991
	Richard Blumenthal	Greenwich	Democratic	1991–2011
	George Jepsen	Hartford	Democratic	2011–2019
	William Tong	Stamford	Democratic	2019–

See also

• 2010 Connecticut Attorney General election
• 2014 Connecticut Attorney General election
• 2018 Connecticut Attorney General election
• 2022 Connecticut Attorney General election

References

1. "Chapter 35 Attorney General".
2. "Bysiewicz v. Dinardo (2010)" (PDF).
3. "Thinking of entering the A.G. sweepstakes? You better read this". 29 November 2017.
4. "Thinking of entering the A.G. sweepstakes? You better read this". 29 November 2017.
5. "About Us". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

External links

• Connecticut Attorney General official website
• Connecticut Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
• News and Commentary at FindLaw
• Connecticut General Statutes at Law.Justia.com
• U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Connecticut" at FindLaw
• Connecticut Bar Association
• Connecticut Attorney General George Jespen profile at National Association of Attorneys General
• Press releases at Connecticut Attorney General's office