Sec. 3-125. Duties of Attorney General; deputy; assistants; associate attorneys general.
Sec. 3-125. Duties of Attorney General; deputy; assistants; associate attorneys
general. The Attorney General shall appoint a deputy, who shall be sworn to the faithful
discharge of his duties and shall perform all the duties of the Attorney General in case
of his sickness or absence. He shall appoint such other assistants as he deems necessary,
subject to the approval of the Governor. The Attorney General may also appoint not
more than four associate attorneys general who will serve at the pleasure of the Attorney
General and will be exempt from the classified service. The Attorney General shall have
general supervision over all legal matters in which the state is an interested party, except
those legal matters over which prosecuting officers have direction. He shall appear for
the state, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the
Comptroller, and for all heads of departments and state boards, commissioners, agents,
inspectors, committees, auditors, chemists, directors, harbor masters, and institutions
and for the State Librarian in all suits and other civil proceedings, except upon criminal
recognizances and bail bonds, in which the state is a party or is interested, or in which
the official acts and doings of said officers are called in question, and for all members
of the state House of Representatives and the state Senate in all suits and other civil
proceedings brought against them involving their official acts and doings in the discharge of their duties as legislators, in any court or other tribunal, as the duties of his
office require; and all such suits shall be conducted by him or under his direction. When
any measure affecting the State Treasury is pending before any committee of the General
Assembly, such committee shall give him reasonable notice of the pendency of such
measure, and he shall appear and take such action as he deems to be for the best interests
of the state, and he shall represent the public interest in the protection of any gifts,
legacies or devises intended for public or charitable purposes. All legal services required
by such officers and boards in matters relating to their official duties shall be performed
by the Attorney General or under his direction. All writs, summonses or other processes
served upon such officers and legislators shall, forthwith, be transmitted by them to the
Attorney General. All suits or other proceedings by such officers shall be brought by
the Attorney General or under his direction. He shall, when required by either house of
the General Assembly or when requested by the president pro tempore of the Senate,
the speaker of the House of Representatives, or the majority leader or the minority
leader of the Senate or House of Representatives, give his opinion upon questions of
law submitted to him by either of said houses or any of said leaders. He shall advise or
give his opinion to the head of any executive department or any state board or commission upon any question of law submitted to him. He may procure such assistance as he
may require. Whenever a trustee, under the provisions of any charitable trust described
in section 45a-514, is required by statute to give a bond for the performance of his duties
as trustee, the Attorney General may cause a petition to be lodged with the probate court
of the district in which such trust property is situated, or where any of the trustees reside,
for the fixing, accepting and approving of a bond to the state, conditioned for the proper
discharge of the duties of such trust, which bond shall be filed in the office of such
probate court. The Attorney General shall prepare a topical and chronological cross-index of all legal opinions issued by the office of the Attorney General and shall, from
time to time, update the same.
(1949 Rev., S. 212; 1971, P.A. 829; P.A. 76-291; P.A. 83-464, S. 4, 5; 83-548, S. 1, 3; P.A. 84-546, S. 153, 173; P.A.
88-312; P.A. 00-99, S. 19, 154.)
History: 1971 act required attorney general to issue and update cross-index of legal opinions; P.A. 76-291 required
attorney general to represent general assembly members in proceedings brought against them concerning their official acts
as legislators; P.A. 83-464 provided the attorney general shall appear for the high sheriffs or their chief deputies except in
matters for which they are insured or required to be insured by statute; P.A. 83-548 added provision re appointment of
four associate attorneys general; P.A. 84-546 made technical change, referring to divisions of general assembly as "houses"
rather than "branches"; P.A. 88-312 required attorney general to give an opinion on questions of law when requested by
president pro tempore of senate, speaker of house of representatives or majority or minority leader of senate or house; P.A.
00-99 deleted references to high sheriffs or their chief deputies, effective December 1, 2000.
Cited. 98 C. 112. Scope of duties in enforcing charitable gifts. 102 C. 422. In case of public charitable trust, attorney
general or trustees, and not beneficiaries, are proper parties to appeal from acceptance of final account of administrator.
106 C. 591. Cited. 115 C. 560. In suit to terminate private trust, joinder of attorney general as defendant is not adequate
representation of unborn parties in interest. 125 C. 649. Cited. 133 C. 91. Assistants appointed under this section are to
assist attorney general in performance of general duties. Id., 342. Failure of trustees to apply standard of public interest
provided by testatrix was an abuse of discretion. 139 C. 612. Attorney general properly a party in action to terminate
testamentary trust and to substitute compromise agreement as charitable bequests were involved. 145 C. 634. Cited. 151
C. 517; 152 C. 591; 154 C. 683. Attorney general represents public interest in protecting charitable dispositions and was
proper party defendant where educational trust was challenged. 157 C. 265. Cited. 158 C. 439. Failure to join attorney
general in action for declaratory judgment concerning charitable funds is jurisdictional defect. 160 C. 557. Cited. 161 C.
312. Cited. 164 C. 548. Cited. 166 C. 21. An attorney general's opinion, previously rendered on a question of law, which
has now come before the court, is entitled to careful consideration and generally regarded as highly persuasive, but is not
binding. Id., 113. Attorney general must, under this section, represent the public interest as a necessary party in any litigation
involving a public trust. 172 C. 496. Cited (dissent). Id., 496. Cited. 174 C. 308. Cited. 179 C. 62; Id., 198. Cited. 187 C.
109. Cited. 217 C. 404. Cited. 234 C. 539. Cited. 243 C. 1.
Cited. 41 CA 790. Cited. 43 CA 365.
Attorney general properly a party in an action seeking injunction against demolition of memorial bridges built with
charitable gifts. 16 CS 229. Cited. 17 CS 320. Attorney general may file motion for contempt for failure to obey a court
order for support of children and motion for order increasing amount where state has paid substantial sums in aid to
dependent children. 19 CS 214. Cited. 26 CS 384. Attorney general is representative of public interest in protection of
trusts for charitable uses. Id., 394. Cited. 27 CS 484. Cited. 28 CS 244; Id., 469. Cited. 30 CS 87. Cited. 37 CS 50. Cited.
39 CS 80. Cited. 40 CS 116.