Peter Neronha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Neronha
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| 74th Attorney General of Rhode Island | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2019 |
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| Governor | Gina Raimondo Dan McKee |
| Preceded by | Peter Kilmartin |
| United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island | |
| In office September 16, 2009 – March 10, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Robert Clark Corrente |
| Succeeded by | Aaron L. Weisman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Franz Neronha
December 17, 1963 Wakefield, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Shelly |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Boston College (BA, JD) |
Peter Franz Neronha (born December 17, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician from Jamestown, Rhode Island. He is currently the top lawyer for the state of Rhode Island, known as the Attorney General. Before this, he worked for the United States government as the United States Attorney for Rhode Island. He was appointed to that role by President Barack Obama and served from 2009 to 2017. Later, he successfully ran for Attorney General of Rhode Island in the 2018 elections as a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Education
Peter Neronha was born in Wakefield, Rhode Island. He went to North Kingstown High School. After high school, he studied at Boston College, where he graduated with very high honors. He then earned his law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Boston College Law School. While there, he was part of the Boston College Law Review, which is a group that publishes legal articles.
Career Highlights
After finishing law school, Peter Neronha started his career at a law firm in Boston, Massachusetts. He worked there for almost seven years, handling business-related legal cases.
His work in public service began in 1996 when he became a state prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office. This means he worked for the state to bring legal cases against people accused of crimes. In 2002, he became a federal prosecutor, working for the United States Attorney's Office.
In 2009, two U.S. Senators from Rhode Island, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, suggested Peter Neronha for a big job. President Barack Obama then chose him to be the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. The United States Senate agreed with this choice, and he officially started on September 16, 2009.
As United States Attorney
During his time as United States Attorney, Peter Neronha focused on fighting public corruption. This means he worked to stop dishonest actions by government officials. Under his leadership, his office took legal action against many state and local elected officials who had broken the law. These officials included a town mayor, town council members, and state lawmakers. They were all sent to federal prison for their actions.
Peter Neronha also spent time talking to students in high schools across Rhode Island. He spoke to over 10,000 students and led discussions in town halls. He believed in a smart way to reduce violent crime. This involved focusing law enforcement efforts on the people causing the most violence. He also worked with communities to prevent crime and help people leaving prison find jobs.
His office also worked to protect consumers and the environment. They also made sure public money was not wasted or misused.
One important case he continued involved Google. His office investigated Google for helping foreign pharmacies illegally bring controlled medicines, like opioids, into the United States. As a result of this investigation, Google had to pay 500 million dollars. This was one of the largest payments of its kind in U.S. history, and 230 million dollars of that money came back to Rhode Island.
In 2017, Peter Neronha was one of several U.S. attorneys who were asked to leave their jobs by the Attorney General of the United States, Jeff Sessions. This event is known as the 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys.
As Attorney General of Rhode Island
In October 2017, Peter Neronha announced he wanted to become the Attorney General of Rhode Island. The previous Attorney General, Peter Kilmartin, could not run again because of term limits. Peter Neronha was the only Democrat running for the job. He ran against Alan Gordon from the Compassion Party.
In the election, Peter Neronha won by a large margin, getting 79.8% of the votes.
As Attorney General of Rhode Island, Peter Neronha has joined other states in legal challenges. For example, he joined a lawsuit to challenge a decision by the President about the border.
He has also worked with Governor Gina Raimondo to suggest new laws about guns to the Rhode Island General Assembly. These ideas include making it illegal to buy a gun for someone who is not allowed to own one. They also suggest that all guns should be stored safely when not being used. He also supported other proposed laws, such as banning certain types of assault weapons and requiring background checks for all gun sales.
Personal Life
Peter Neronha is married to his wife, Shelly. They have two children together.
See also
- 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys
