According to the Code of 1867, the Attorney General was ordered to report annually to the Governor in a consolidated form from the reports of solicitors of judicial circuits on the character, number, and result of criminal cases in each county. He was also directed to make suggestions for the suppression of crime. Earlier reports contain both narrative and tabular summaries. Topics included in the narrative section are civil business, criminal matters, solicitors' reports, impeachment proceedings, tax cases, Supreme Court business, changes in criminal laws, suggestions, and opinions. The tabular section classifies offenses and numbers persons prosecuted, by Judicial Circuit and county, including the nature of the offense; the number of cases prosecuted, disposed of, acquitted, convicted, and nolle prosequies; the punishment imposed; and remarks. A recapitulation for each county, including the predominant offense, concludes each section. Counties may be divided into city, county, or criminal courts, and a recapitualation for the state may give the predominant crime by the name of the court. Legislation in 1893 requested the Attorney General to report to the Governor in Oct. of even numbered years. He was again asked for suggestions for the suppression of crime and the improvement of criminal administration; to provide statistics on criminal cases for the entire state in each judicial circuit and city, criminal, or other court; and he could include opinions deemed of public interest. (Code of 1896). Later reports are organized into three sections: (1) a statement of civil cases pending or disposed of, in which the state is interested; (2) official opinions that deal with questions of public interest or that will aid state and county officers (from 1896); and (3) a tabulated statement of criminal cases showing the number, character, and result. The reports may also include lists of Attorneys General, lists of circuit, city, and county solicitors, and tabulations of criminal appeals to the Supreme Court.
