Role and Function of the Attorney General

The Attorney General is the statewide elected official directed by the Florida Constitution to serve as the chief legal officer for the State of Florida. The Attorney General is responsible for protecting Florida consumers from various types of fraud and enforcing the state’s antitrust laws. Additionally, the Attorney General protects her constituents in cases of Medicaid fraud, defends the state in civil litigation cases and represents the people of Florida when criminals appeal their convictions in state and federal courts.

Within the Attorney General’s Office is the Office of Statewide Prosecution that targets widespread criminal activities throughout Florida including identity theft, drug trafficking and gang activity. The Attorney General's Office also conducts various programs to assist victims of crime.

The Attorney General defends the constitutionality of statutes duly enacted by the Legislature and is authorized to issue formal legal opinions at the request of various public officials on questions relating to the application of state law. The Office of the Attorney General houses the Florida Commission on the Status of Women and the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. Also housed within the Attorney General’s Office is the Office of Civil Rights, which investigates and takes legal action against violations of Floridians’ civil rights.

The Attorney General serves as a member of the Florida Cabinet along with the Chief Financial Officer and the Commissioner of Agriculture. As a Cabinet member, the Attorney General serves on the Clemency Board and as a member of the various Cabinet boards and commissions that address state lands, state investments, and rules pertaining to insurance and financial regulation. Also as a Cabinet member, the Attorney General serves, collectively as agency head for the Departments of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Law Enforcement, Revenue and Veterans Affairs.