Vision For Ohio: Click Here Record Of Reform: Click Here For More Info: Jim Petro's Website
As Attorney General, Petro is focused on protecting Ohio citizens from criminal and terrorist threats. He has dedicated additional resources to the state’s DNA laboratory and positioned Ohio as one of the only states in the nation without a testing backlog. Also, he has launched a secure computer-based communications system – the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway – that allows law-enforcement agencies throughout the state to share critical investigative information. In 2005, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police honored Petro for his commitment to law enforcement by presenting him the Visionary Leadership Award for Innovation.
Attorney General Petro’s office handles approximately 35,000 active legal cases at any given time. He serves as legal counsel to the governor, other statewide officials, the General Assembly and all state departments, agencies, boards and commissions. Additionally, he frequently issues formal legal opinions on questions of law submitted by elected officials and prosecutors. In 2005, Petro became the first Ohio Attorney General to argue a case before the Supreme Court since William Saxbe did it more than three decades ago. The high court ruled in Petro’s favor by a unanimous 9-0 margin.
Petro’s legal experience spans more than 30 years in both the public and private sectors. He has held a number of elected positions, including eight years as Auditor of State, eight years in the Ohio House of Representatives and four years as a Cuyahoga County Commissioner.
A native of Brooklyn, Ohio, Petro received his bachelor’s degree from Denison University in Granville and earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Petro currently resides in Columbus with his wife, Nancy, who runs a software company. The couple’s two children, Cory and John, are both college graduates pursuing private-sector careers.