| Darrell McGraw | |
|---|---|
| 35th Attorney General of West Virginia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1993 |
|
| Governor | Gaston Caperton Cecil H. Underwood Bob Wise Joe Manchin Earl Ray Tomblin |
| Preceded by | Mario Palumbo |
| Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia | |
| In office 1984–1988 |
|
| Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia | |
| In office January 1, 1976 – December 31, 1988 |
|
| Preceded by | Donald R. Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Workman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 8, 1936 McGraws-Tipple, West Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jorea Marple (4 children) |
| Residence | Charleston, West Virginia |
| Alma mater | West Virginia University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Methodist |
Darrell Vivian McGraw, Jr. (born November 8, 1936 in McGraws-Tipple, Wyoming County, West Virginia) is an American Democratic politician. He is the brother of former West Virginia State Supreme Court Justice and state Senate President Warren McGraw.
He was elected state attorney general in 1992 and re-elected in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008.[1] In January, 2009, McGraw was sworn in as attorney general for a record fifth term.
Contents |
McGraw graduated from Pineville High School and served two years in the United States Army, stationed in Germany, before beginning his undergraduate career at West Virginia University, where he served as student body president and dedicated the mast of the U.S.S. West Virginia, which still stands as a landmark at the university.
After earning his Juris Doctor at West Virginia University, he began working under Governor Hulett Smith.
Prior to acting in an official capacity within West Virginian politics, McGraw took a behind the scenes role, serving as counsel to Hulett C. Smith, Governor from 1965 to 1969, and the West Virginia Legislature. For twelve years starting in 1976, he was a state Supreme Court Justice. During his tenure, McGraw upheld the state Freedom of Information Act, ordering that any exemptions that were to be granted related to this legislation were to be extremely limited. In 1980 he officiated at the wedding of Larry Shannon Roberts, a former WCHS weatherman, and Diana Rhodes Lovejoy, a former WV State Tax Dept employee. The wedding was held in the State Capitol Rotunda, the first known wedding to be held at this location.
In 1992 he was elected to his present office of Attorney General. As Attorney General for the State of West Virginia, he has been involved in many high profile national cases, including the 1998 multi-billion dollar State Tobacco Settlement, which secured billions of dollars for the state of West Virginia. As of a result of the settlement money, West Virginia will save $2.5 billion due to a bond sale that resulted from the settlement.[2] His office also litigated refunds for over 1,200 state residents from DirecTV totaling $152,000.00[3]
McGraw has been criticized by some newspapers, state legislators, tort reform advocates, and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, who accuse him of cronyism,[4] benefiting trial lawyers who contribute to his political campaigns, and inappropriate use of public resources.[5]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Donald R. Wilson |
Justice for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia 1976–1988 |
Succeeded by Margaret Workman |
| Preceded by Mario Palumbo |
Attorney General of West Virginia 1993–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||