An attorney general's release gives the office's account, and the case documents hold the terms. Find the state filing, compare the two and date each claim to its document.
The release and the record answer different questions
A state attorney general's press release tells readers what the office wants known: the company, a headline amount, a quote and sometimes the list of states that joined. If the matter went to court, the case documents hold what the parties agreed to and what a judge signed.
The two can differ in ways readers care about. The headline amount may be a multistate total, may include money that is suspended or paid over time, or may count fees and costs. The release may describe a settlement that is still a proposed judgment waiting for a judge. And the order in which the two appear varies from case to case.
So we don't assume either one came first. Record when each document appeared, and attribute each claim to the document it came from.
Find the state court record
Start from the release. Many name the court, the county or a case number, and the state or the attorney general usually appears as a party. Search by the defendant's name and by the state as plaintiff.
PACER covers federal courts and charges $0.10 a page, so it only helps when an AG files in federal court. A case filed in a state trial court lives in that state's system, and access differs:
- New York's NYSCEF lets visitors search as a guest and view documents that aren't sealed without an account.
- Texas's re:SearchTX asks you to register before searching, and public documents are available for purchase.
- In California, use the judicial branch's court finder to reach the superior court for the county named in the release, then that court's own case access.
If you can't find a filing, ask the clerk or the AG's press office where the document is. Some resolutions never reach a court.
Assurances may sit outside the docket
Attorneys general can also resolve a matter with an assurance of discontinuance (some states call it an assurance of voluntary compliance). Whether that document reaches a court depends on the state's statute. Massachusetts law says such an assurance "shall be in writing and be filed with the superior court of Suffolk county." Arizona's consumer fraud statute requires the assurance to be filed with and subject to the approval of the superior court.
Where a state's law sets no filing requirement, the AG's office may hold the only copy. Ask for the signed document before you describe its terms.
Copy this release-to-record ledger
Fill one ledger per settlement. The left column is what the release says; the rest tells you where to check it and how to word it once you have.
| Claim in the release | Document to check | What to record | How to word it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline amount | Proposed or entered judgment, or the assurance | This state's share, any multistate total, suspended amounts, payment schedule, fees and costs | Attribute the total to the release and the breakdown to the document |
| "Court-ordered" or "settled" | Docket entries | Whether the judgment is proposed or entered, and the entry date | Use "proposed" until a judge has signed |
| Required business changes | Injunctive terms in the judgment or assurance | Each obligation, its deadline, any monitor or reporting duty | Quote the operative clause |
| Admissions | Judgment or assurance text | Admission or no-admission language | Use the document's own wording |
| Allegations | Complaint | Statutes cited, parties named, period covered | "The complaint alleges" |
| Timing | Release, filing timestamps, entry date | All three dates | Report each date as its own fact |
One ledger per settlement. Keep a link or file reference for every document in the second column.
Check the entry date
A proposed judgment the parties filed and a judgment a judge entered are separate docket entries. Check which one you're reading before you write court-ordered.
A hypothetical subscription case
This example is hypothetical; no real company or case sits behind it.
An AG release announces a settlement with a subscription service and cites one dollar figure. The docket shows a complaint filed the same day, alongside a stipulated judgment the parties signed. The judgment splits the figure into a payment to the state, an amount suspended unless the company breaches the terms, and costs. It also requires a one-step cancellation flow by a set date.
A defensible account attributes the headline figure to the release, gives the breakdown from the judgment and says whether a judge has entered it. It leads with the cancellation requirement, because that's the term readers can use. The suspended amount gets one exact sentence.
Where this fits with a briefing
When an AG case is in federal court, the federal docket guide covers how to read the entries by role. The reported-angle worksheet helps narrow a claim to what the documents support.
A Niche briefing for a consumer or legal niche follows the coverage and keeps the supporting sources attached. When a story rests on an attorney general's announcement, the ledger above is the check you run by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a state attorney general lawsuit?
Start with the court or county named in the release and search that state's court system by defendant and by the state as plaintiff. Systems differ: New York's NYSCEF allows guest searches, Texas's re:SearchTX requires an account, and in California you start from the superior court for the named county.
Can I use PACER to find state AG cases?
PACER covers federal courts. A case an attorney general files in a state court is in that state's system. When an AG sues in federal court, the case is on PACER.
What's the difference between a proposed and an entered judgment?
A proposed judgment is the version the parties signed and filed. An entered judgment is one a judge has signed. Check the docket for the entry date before calling a settlement court-ordered.