The extent to which State Attorneys General have criminal jurisdiction varies from State to State. But regardless of the extent of their actual legal authority, they are at the forefront of the national debate over criminal justice reform. Public corruption cases are often the most challenging, sensitive, and complicated criminal matters that State Attorneys General face. This class will focus on the challenges that arise under the criminal jurisdiction of attorneys general with a discussion of the appropriate ways in which State Attorneys General respond to allegations of corruption and ethics violations by state and local elected officials.

The flip side of this issue is that several attorneys general have themselves been subject to criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office, and have also been criticized for ethical violations on a wide variety of issues.

This week we will be joined by Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin. Leanne is a graduate of Bowdoin College and Cornell Law School and is a criminal prosecutor in the Maine office of Attorney General.

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Introduction: James Tierney, AG's and Crim Law, Lecture, Harvard Law School, March 21, 2020 (YouTube).