Office of the Missouri Attorney GeneralGovernment

The Office of the Missouri Attorney General is the chief legal and law enforcement agency of the State of Missouri, headed by the popularly elected Missouri Attorney General. Its constitutional mandate is to serve as the chief legal counsel to state agencies and officers, defend state statutes against constitutional challenges, handle all criminal felony appeals in appellate courts, and protect the public through specialized consumer protection and antitrust enforcement divisions. Established under the original Missouri Constitution of 1820 upon statehood, with Edward Bates appointed as the inaugural state attorney general, the office was subsequently transformed from a gubernatorial appointment to a statewide elected position under the Missouri Constitution of 1865.