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. Since 2019, he has been the attorney general of Rhode Island. The attorney general is the top lawyer and law enforcement officer for the state.
Before this, he was the United States Attorney for Rhode Island. He was appointed by President Barack Obama and served from 2009 to 2017. In 2018, he successfully ran for attorney general as a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Schooling
Peter Neronha was born in Wakefield, Rhode Island. He went to North Kingstown High School. After high school, he attended Boston College, where he graduated with the highest honors.
He then went to Boston College Law School to earn his law degree. While there, he was a member of the Boston College Law Review, a special journal where top law students write about legal topics.
Career as a Lawyer
After finishing law school, Neronha worked at a law firm in Boston, Massachusetts called Goodwin Procter LLP. For almost seven years, he helped businesses solve legal disagreements.
In 1996, he began working for the public as a state prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office. A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for the government. In 2002, he became a federal prosecutor, which means he worked for the U.S. government.
In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Neronha to be the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. The United States Senate unanimously approved his appointment.
United States Attorney
As a U.S. Attorney, Neronha was part of a group of 16 U.S. Attorneys who advised the Attorney General of the United States on important issues. He also helped manage the budget for all the U.S. Attorney offices across the country.
Protecting the Community
Neronha believed in a "smart" approach to reducing violent crime. He focused on the few individuals causing the most violence. He also worked with communities on crime prevention. He helped people leaving prison find jobs to build better lives.
His office also worked to protect people from unfair business practices and to protect the environment. In one major case, his office investigated Google. The investigation found that Google had helped online pharmacies illegally sell powerful medicines in the U.S. As a result, Google had to pay a fine of $500 million.
In 2017, Neronha was one of several U.S. attorneys who were asked to leave their positions when a new presidential administration took over.
Attorney General of Rhode Island
In October 2017, Neronha announced he would run for Attorney General of Rhode Island. The previous attorney general, Peter Kilmartin, could not run again because of term limits. Neronha was the only Democrat in the race.
In the election, Neronha won with about 80% of the vote.
Keeping People Safe
As Attorney General, Neronha has worked on important issues to protect the people of Rhode Island. He joined with other states in a lawsuit to challenge a presidential decision about the U.S. southern border.
He also started a major review of records from the Catholic Diocese of Providence. The goal of the review is to look into serious complaints made against the church over nearly 70 years. This is being done to ensure people are safe and to learn from the past.
New Gun Safety Rules
Neronha worked with Governor Gina Raimondo to propose new gun safety laws. One proposed rule would make it illegal to buy a gun for someone who is not allowed to own one. Another rule would require guns to be stored safely when not in use.
He also supported other bills being considered by the state government. These included a ban on certain types of weapons and a bill requiring background checks for all gun sales.
Personal life
He and his wife, Shelly, are married and have two children.
See also
- 2017 dismissal of U.S. attorneys
