Steve Carter has been an extraordinarily active Indiana attorney general, initiating legal action in a number of different areas.

Carter surprised state political circles when he announced last weekend he does not intend to seek a third term. He leaves a legacy as a staunch consumer watchdog, but his activism wasn’t always in the best interest of legal policy.

The attorney general’s principal duty is to represent the state in criminal appeals and lawsuits, a role Carter’s team has appeared to perform ably. But Carter will be better known for his initiatives to protect consumers.

The attorney general has consumer-protection responsibilities that, under his predecessors, consisted largely of filing lawsuits in consumer fraud cases. Carter took the assignment much further, aggressively seeking – and later enforcing – do-not-call legislation that strictly limits unwanted telephone solicitations.

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