On Monday, the Yellowhammer State was introduced to its newest Attorney General. Appointed by Governor Bentley to take over for Luther Strange, Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshall was officially sworn in on Monday.
Since he’s not a well-known name by many outside of Alabama law enforcement, we’ve put together a handful of facts about the new Attorney General that we learned from his first press conference.
He’s takes office with support from significant Alabama officials.
Marshall was introduced on Monday by State Senator Clay Scofield (R- Guntersville), who praised the new Attorney General for having a “servant’s heart.” Former Shelby County Sheriff Chris Curry touted Marshall’s commitment to his faith, victims’ advocate Darlene Hutchinson called him a “champion” for crime victims, and Coles Portis with the Alabama Bar Association called him a “point of light.”
He received a standing ovation after being sworn into office.
He plans to crack down on human trafficking and opioid addiction, and has a zero tolerance policy for so-called “sanctuary cities.”
The governor’s office touted Marshall for his work with the legislature to address opioid abuse, and the new Attorney General himself vowed that he would use the muscle of his office to combat human trafficking. Perhaps most noteworthy for Trump-friendly Alabamians is his commitment to take would-be sanctuary cities to task.
“Sanctuaries are places of worship, not places where laws are avoided,” he said.
He’s well aware of the circumstances surrounding his appointment.
During his press conference, Marshall did not hesitate to address the elephant in the room. Regarding a potential investigation into Robert Bentley, he assured Alabamians that he would avoid any hint of making an unethical political play involving the governor.
“I also understand the circumstances of this appointment and as such that the people could believe that I could not be fair,” he said. “And if that’s the case, then it’s my obligation to recuse, and I will.”
He plans to run for Attorney General in 2018.
Marshall confirmed that he would seek to extend his term as the state’s A.G. beyond the 2018 election.
…But he’s not planning a run for governor (yet).
Marshall told an audience that he has no intention of mounting a bid for higher office once he’s served as Alabama’s Attorney General. (At least for the moment.)
“I’ve heard some people say A.G. stands for ‘Aspiring Governor.’ That’s not me,” he said.
