Curtis Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Curtis Hill
Hill in 2018
43rd Attorney General of Indiana
In office January 9, 2017 – January 11, 2021
Governor	Eric Holcomb
Preceded by	Greg Zoeller
Succeeded by	Todd Rokita
Prosecuting Attorney for Elkhart County
In office January 1, 2003 – January 9, 2017
Preceded by	Michael Cosentino
Succeeded by	Vicki Becker
Personal details
Born	Curtis Theophilus Hill Jr. (1961-02-21) February 21, 1961 (age 64) Elkhart, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Teresa
Children	5
Education	Indiana University, Bloomington (BS, JD)

Curtis Theophilus Hill Jr. (born February 21, 1961) is an American prosecutor and a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 43rd Attorney General of Indiana from 2017 to 2021.

Curtis Hill studied at Indiana University and its law school. Before becoming Attorney General, he worked as a lawyer in private practice. He also served as a part-time prosecutor. In 2002, he was elected as the prosecutor for Elkhart County. He was re-elected three times, serving four terms until 2017.

During his time as Attorney General, a professional conduct review took place. In 2020, the Indiana Supreme Court found that he had violated rules of professional conduct. As a result, his license to practice law was temporarily suspended for 30 days.

In July 2020, he was not chosen by his party to run for Attorney General again. Instead, Todd Rokita became the Republican candidate. Hill later ran for Governor of Indiana in 2024 but did not win his party's nomination.

Early Life and Education

Curtis Hill grew up in Elkhart, Indiana. He was the youngest son of Curtis Hill Sr., who worked for the postal service and was a civil rights activist, and Eleanor, who was a cosmetologist. Hill studied business at Indiana University. He then earned his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Legal Career

Before becoming a full-time prosecutor, Hill worked as a lawyer in private practice. He also served as a part-time prosecutor. In 2002, he was elected as the county prosecutor for Elkhart County in Northern Indiana. He was re-elected three more times, serving a total of four terms. Like other Elkhart County prosecutors since 1938, Hill was elected as a Republican.

Indiana Attorney General

Campaign for Attorney General

In 2016, Curtis Hill ran for Indiana Attorney General as a Republican. He wanted to take over from Greg Zoeller, who was not seeking re-election. Hill ran against Lorenzo Arredondo, the Democratic candidate. Hill spent more money on his campaign than Arredondo.

On November 8, 2016, Curtis Hill won the election. He received about 62% of the votes, while Arredondo received about 38%.

Time as Attorney General

Curtis Hill made history as the first African American man to become Indiana Attorney General.

During his time in office, Hill was seen as a rising figure in the Republican Party. He often shared his thoughts on national issues on social media. People even thought he might run for U.S. Senate one day. As Attorney General, Hill supported conservative policies. He also met with President Donald Trump at the White House several times to talk about different topics.

Office Spending

In August 2017, some state lawmakers criticized Hill for how he spent state money. He spent $279,000 to renovate his office at the Indiana State House. He also spent almost $31,000 on a large passenger van to use as a mobile office. Hill's office explained that these expenses were necessary.

Animal Welfare and State Laws

As Attorney General, Hill led a lawsuit with 17 other states against Massachusetts. They wanted to stop a Massachusetts law that would require eggs, pork, and veal sold there to come from animals raised with more space. Indiana, under Hill, also joined 12 other states in suing California over a law that banned eggs from hens kept in small cages. The U.S. Supreme Court chose not to hear these lawsuits.

Voting Rights Discussion

In 2018, Hill disagreed with a plan to add more early voting locations in Marion County. This plan was part of an agreement to settle a lawsuit about voting rights. The agreement was approved by a U.S. District Judge despite Hill's objections. Many groups, including Common Cause Indiana and the Indianapolis NAACP, criticized Hill for his involvement in the case.

Public Records and Emails

As Attorney General, Hill used personal email accounts for official business. Experts in open government and cybersecurity advise against this practice. In 2019, an official opinion stated that Hill's office had broken the Indiana Access to Public Records Act by hiding personal email addresses in public documents. The Indianapolis Star newspaper then sued Hill's office. In 2021, a judge ruled that Hill had violated public records law. The court ordered his office to pay the newspaper's legal fees.

Not Chosen for Re-election

Despite the professional conduct review, Hill tried to be chosen again as the Republican candidate for Attorney General in 2020. He faced three other challengers. The Republican candidate was chosen at a state convention, not a primary election. In the voting, Todd Rokita won against Hill. Rokita then went on to win the general election, keeping the Attorney General's office under Republican control for the sixth time in a row.

Later Political Campaigns

After the death of U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski, Hill tried to be selected to replace her on the ballot in November 2022. However, he was not chosen by the Indiana Republican Party. Instead, Rudy Yakym was selected.

Personal Life

Curtis Hill is married to Teresa, and they have five children. In his free time, he enjoys performing as an Elvis impersonator.