CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General Darrell McGraw has died. He was 88 years elderly.
A family representative said the lifelong Democrat died of a heart attack.
He served as a Supreme Court justice for twelve years beginning in 1976. He served as chief justice for the last four years. He then served as Attorney General in 1992 and was re-elected in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
In 2012, he lost to Republican Patrick Morrissey, the current attorney general, by a narrow margin of 49% to 51%.
“My prayers and condolences go out to the family and friends of Darrell McGraw for their loss,” Morrisey said in a statement Saturday.
As a Supreme Court justice, McGraw voted to uphold West Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. He also led a multi-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry.
According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, the 1997 settlement has brought the state nearly $1.5 billion by 2022.
McGraw’s brother, the behind schedule Warren McGraw, was also a former West Virginia Supreme Court justice. Warren also served as President of the West Virginia State Senate.
McGraw is survived by his wife, Jorea Marple, the former state administrator, and four children.
“Darrell McGraw dedicated his life to serving in West Virginia government, serving 12 years on the Supreme Court and 20 years as Attorney General. “He played a key role in a generation of jurisprudence in the Mountain State,” Chief Justice Tim Armstead said in a statement Saturday. “We recognize Judge McGraw’s service to our state and extend our deepest prayers and condolences to his wife Jorea and their children during this difficult time.”
“Darrell McGraw’s legacy leaves an indelible mark on West Virginia’s legal landscape,” said Judge Bill Wooton. “His leadership was evident from a young age; He served as student body president at West Virginia University and dedicated most of the remainder of his life to public service in all three branches of government. He was a key figure in Governor Hulett Smith’s administration, an aide to the Legislature, a former Justice of our Supreme Court, and West Virginia’s longest-serving Attorney General. A hallmark of his public service was his love for the state of West Virginia and its people. He will be remembered by those who knew him as an extremely kind and good man.”
