This is the third in a series of Q&As with candidates of both parties seeking elected office. We asked them to
respond in writing to a series of questions. Today we bring you current Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Democrat
Harley “Orrin” Staggers, and his Republican challenger, Jeff Weatherholt. Our series will conclude next week with
the candidates for West Virginia’s 2 nd Congressional District, Democrat Steven Wendelin and Republican Riley
Moore.
Meet your candidates: Prosecuting Attorney
Moorefield Examiner:
Please provide a brief personal statement about your candidacy, experience/qualifications, priorities and
vision for the future of Hardy County.
Orrin Staggers:
I ask for consideration by the citizens of Hardy County for this position because I am the
candidate with the experience that matters. Most of my career I have been a prosecutor, the
majority of which has been prosecuting cases in Hardy County. I have handled a vast array of
cases, including felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile proceedings, and special prosecutor cases. I
currently lead the Hardy County Multidisciplinary Investigative Team and have established the
Hardy County Sexual Assault Response Team. This position is about public service over personal
or political agendas, and I have the endorsement of various traditionally conservative
associations and individuals such as the West Virginia Trooper’s Association, West Virginia
Sheriff’s Association, as well as Sheriff Steve Dawson and retired Chief Steve Reckart who are
both Republicans. If elected, I am dedicated to bringing positive change and reform to the office
to restore the trust our citizens deserve.
Jeff Weatherholt:
I’m running for Prosecuting Attorney because I believe that office needs a complete
‘overhaul.’ I hope Hardy Countians help me finish what I began by filing for Prosecuting
Attorney. That single action led to Lucas withdrawing from the race, ensuring a new Prosecutor
in 2025 (only after which time, did Staggers file); prior he was apparently satisfied with Lucas in
that position. I need YOUR help to finish what I started. If you are not proud of the Prosecutor’s
Office, then please help me change it. Thank you.
Examiner:
Public trust in the office has eroded. What specific, actionable steps will you take to restore trust and
integrity to the office of the Prosecuting Attorney?
Weatherholt:
This is one of the main issues in this race. With the shortage of attorneys in this area, especially
for court-appointed work, I do not understand why my opponent would continue to work for
Mr. See (even given that he maintains that he has done nothing wrong), especially after the
huge settlement paid to Mr. See’s secretaries who filed the harassment suit. I wonder why my
opponent did not position himself to run against Mr. See in the primary election (instead of
supporting him). Is his loyalty to the county or to Mr. See? If I had not filed, wouldn’t things in
the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney remain the same? So, if I win (combined with my
understanding that all the positions will be voluntarily vacated), I think that the 100 percent
turnover in personnel will restore trust in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In my opinion, that
is the biggest issue in this election, and the results of the election may remedy that issue.
Staggers:
Trust has been eroded in the office, a reality I recognize. Amidst the uncertainty, it was my duty
to maintain office operations and I worked diligently to keep the office running to ensure the
cases were prosecuted to keep our community safe. There will be a fresh start for the new
Prosecuting Attorney, and it’s essential that the next prosecutor has demonstrated experience
the public can count on to establish trust and integrity. I have faced a similar hurdle and
successfully restored the trust between this office and the local law enforcement community to
the point where I have the support of every single law enforcement agency within the county
and endorsements from multiple law enforcement associations. I accomplished this through
diligent effort to do what is right combined with transparency and open communication with
the officers, deputies, and troopers to meet their needs and their expectations for how their
cases should be handled. If elected, I will implement the same, successful approach throughout
the office to re-establish trust and integrity in this position.
Examiner:
Please clear the air. How many felony cases have you prosecuted (be clear whether they were solo or in
supporting/co-prosecutor role) and what is your conviction rate?
Staggers:
Since January 1, 2021, I’ve been the prosecutor assigned to the felony criminal docket in Hardy
County. Few other assistant prosecutors in the state are solely responsible for their county’s
entire felony docket, which makes my experience unique in this race. Since taking these cases
over, it’s been my responsibility to indict and prosecute felony cases in Hardy County. I draft
the indictments and present them to the Hardy County Grand Jury. I appear on all hearings for
felony cases. I appear for all the evidentiary hearings and present the testimony of witnesses
and arguments on behalf of the State of West Virginia. I prepare the witnesses for hearings and
trial. I create the trial outlines and theme for the presentation to the jury. All of these are solely
my responsibility on every single felony case. I have prosecuted hundreds of felony cases in
Hardy County. Personally, since January 1, 2021, I have indicted over 170 felony cases, which
does not account for the dozens of others that were initiated before my taking over the felony
caseload. Of those cases concluded, I have achieved a conviction rate of 98 percent. These
numbers are growing constantly and are public records accessible at the Hardy County Circuit
Clerk’s Office public terminal.
Weatherholt:
I’d estimate that I prosecuted 150-160 felonies, all of which were ‘solo’ except for the two
murder trials. Our office was too busy to have the luxury of having a second prosecutor on
routine felony cases or trials. Concerning a conviction rate, I did not keep such statistics
because a prosecution is a TEAM endeavor, which begins by a good investigation by the
charging Officer. For example, my opponent cites on August 28, a letter of his work, while the
letter thanks two officers for their outstanding work, and three secretaries for their significant
contributions. Besides, my opponent personally told me that Lucas accompanied him in all his
jury trials (although he was ‘first chair’). So, I guess Lucas played some role in the successful
prosecution as well, in all those cases. Thus, I fail to see how one individual can take credit for
the work of a Team. Moreover, ‘prosecuted’ does not necessarily mean by way of a jury trial.
Also, I never wanted to give the public the impression that I was more interested in keeping
some-kind of score, over simply doing what I felt was right or in the public’s best interest, in the
pursuit of justice. Additionally, a conviction rate calculation can be very misleading, as a
conviction of any one crime in a person charged with multiple crimes, can still lead to a positive
number for calculation purposes, even if the case was basically lost. For example, if one
trespassed while committing murder, then a conviction on the trespass charge alone, even
though the murder case was lost, may be counted as a successful conviction, because the
defendant was convicted of one of the two crimes charged. Locally, I received an email from
the Prosecutors’ Offices in Hampshire, Pendleton, Grant, and Mineral Counties, and each
responded that they do not keep such statistics.
Examiner:
Regardless of outcome, transition to a new PA after 20 years will present challenges. How do you plan to
manage the use of prosecutorial discretion to ensure that limited resources are used efficiently in Hardy
County? Will you focus on clearing backlogged cases or prioritize high-profile or serious offenses?
Weatherholt:
Being a good steward of the public’s money allotted for the Prosecutor Attorney’s budget, will
be a priority. I will conduct myself in a professional manner, and examine the budget, adjusting
as needed. Concerning the backlog to which you refer, as being 100 abuse and neglect cases in
the July 10 th edition of the Examiner — those cases are cases on the active docket (being
addressed); are not ‘sitting,’ waiting to be processed. However, a report from the Clerk’s Office,
concerning bound-over (“B”) cases, show sixty-four 2023/24 cases waiting to be addressed. If
the Prosecuting Attorney’s office is operating efficiently, then why there are so many
unresolved/unindicted felonies?
Staggers:
I am the only candidate in this race who has experience facing the challenges of the next
prosecuting attorney and the preparation necessary to ensure a smooth transition as this office
moves into a new beginning. I’ve been delegated responsibility for management and daily
functions to ensure the office remains operational while exercising sound discretion in the use
of resources to stay within our budget and being conscientious of the county’s jail bill for our
taxpayers. As to the focus, the next prosecutor will not have the option of choosing one over
the other. He must be prepared to focus on maintaining the efficiency of the current caseload
management while giving the time and attention necessary for high-profile or serious offenses.
There is no doubt challenges will arise, but I am the only one in this race with the experience to
overcome these challenges and bring about reform and positive change for this office.
Examiner:
Given that West Virginia has been at the epicenter of the opioid crisis, how would you handle drug
related crimes in Hardy County? Do you support alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders,
such as drug courts or rehabilitation programs?
Weatherholt:
I believe that the penalty for possessing large quantities of drugs and drug related paraphilia
needs to be increased. Controlled substance crimes, and recent plea agreements from the
prosecutor’s office, are a major concern with Hardy County residents. Many believe, as I do,
that penalties need to be increased. Defendants charged with ‘possession with intent to deliver’
(methamphetamines for example), in my opinion, should not be receiving probation or
deferred sentences as some currently are; they should be going to prison. We need to get
serious about drugs if we are going to stop that ‘cancer’ from growing in Hardy County. Drug
Courts, rehabilitation, etc., have their place, but so does prison. Once caught, almost everyone
wants rehabilitation. Why don’t they seek rehab before they are caught, if they truly want to
change their behavior/addiction? WV prisons have drug rehab programs. We need to get the
word out, that if you plan on selling controlled substances, or do sell controlled substances, in
Hardy County, then you will be going to prison or to trial (that will be my recommendation to
the Court, as the Court sentences).
Staggers:
Every case, not just drug-related cases, should be handled on a case-by-case basis as it’s
dangerous to cast broad positions for subsets of cases when the facts differ on every single one.
Alternatives such as Drug Courts and rehabilitation programs are necessary programs, but they
are not meant for everyone. Our Drug Court and local programs have been very successful, but
they are resources that should be reserved for those in need of help. As a prosecutor, it is
important to have a clear understanding to recognize the difference between a person who
needs help and a person who needs to be punished. For example, an addict in need of
assistance to bring them back to their families and back to being a productive member of
society is someone who may, depending on their willingness and readiness, deserve an
opportunity to seek help to battle their addiction. However, there is a stark difference between
the addict who needs help and the facilitator of drugs in our community. Those who bring drugs
to our community intending to profit from the suffering of our citizens deserve to be punished
by imprisonment.
Examiner:
By most accounts the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force has been successful. What other partnerships,
collaborations, or initiatives would you pursue and promote to improve public safety?
Staggers:
Our Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force has been extremely
successful. During my tenure as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, I have established a great
working relationship with the local and federal agents that make up the Task Force and we have
worked diligently to bring down some of the largest facilitators of controlled substances within
Hardy County. Being a County that borders Virginia, I will look to expand interstate cooperation
with them and our neighboring counties to work in concert to continue our efforts of bringing
down drug dealers flooding our communities with poison for their profit. With the success we
have built, I’m confident these collaborations will assist in combating the epidemic and make
our community safer.
Weatherholt:
I think that ‘community involvement’ is extremely important. Who knows better what is going
on in a community, about vehicles coming in and out of certain locations all hours of the night,
then the people who live in that area? Moreover, who wants a safe community more than the
people who live there? No one wants crime in their neighborhood. I also believe that more
community involvement leads to more trust and cooperation between the public and the
police, which should be a ‘win-win’ proposition. Similarly, I am aware of a 2023 ‘smart
prosecution’ federal program that was available, which was designed to address underlying
issues that drive crime, emphasized strategies that interrupt cycles of violence, and expanded
services for crime survivors. If elected, I would determine what similar programs are available in
2025 (and beyond), and how Hardy County could benefit from such programs. Something more
definitely needs to be done in Hardy County to limit (as much as possible to stop) the drug
trafficking and distribution, because drug-related issues and crime seem to be increasing in
Hardy County. Thus, not only do we need new crime-deterring strategies, we need new people
in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to implement those changes. Why would we expect
anything to change, if most, or all, of that office remains the same as it has for the last 4-5
years?
