Robert Booth Goodwin II (born 1971) is an American attorney with Goodwin & Goodwin LLP in Charleston, West Virginia. He served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia from 2010 until 2015. Goodwin was a candidate for Governor of West Virginia in 2016.

Booth Goodwin
United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
In office
June 25, 2010 – December 31, 2015
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byCharles Miller (acting)
Succeeded byMichael B. Stuart
Personal details
Born
Robert Booth Goodwin II

1971 (age 52–53)
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
(m. 1999)
[1][2]
RelationsJoseph Goodwin (father)
Carte Goodwin (cousin)
Children2
EducationWest Virginia University (BA)
Washington and Lee University (JD)

Early life and education

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Goodwin was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1971.[3] He attended West Virginia University, where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in economics 1993.[4] He then earned his Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1996.[5]

Career

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On January 20, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Goodwin to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia.[5] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 26, 2010 and was sworn into office on June 25, 2010.[6][7] Goodwin prosecuted Don Blankenship, securing a conviction for conspiring to undermine federal mine safety laws, which caused the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.[8]

On December 28, 2015, Goodwin announced that he would be stepping down from his position as U.S. Attorney effective at the end of 2015 and returning to private law practice. On January 1, 2016, Goodwin filed candidacy papers with the West Virginia Secretary of State's office to run for governor of West Virginia as a Democrat in the 2016 election.[9][10] He lost the Democratic primary to Jim Justice, who went on to win the general election. Goodwin carried two counties, including his home county of Kanawha, as well as neighboring Jackson. He finished in second place with 25%, behind Justice and ahead of Jeff Kessler.[11]

In 2018, Goodwin was treasurer of a super PAC designed to oppose the candidacies for U.S. Senate of Patrick Morrisey and Evan Jenkins and support the reelection of Joe Manchin.[12]

Personal life

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Goodwin's father, Joseph Robert Goodwin, was appointed in 1995 by President Bill Clinton to serve as a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.[4][13] Goodwin's cousin, Carte Goodwin, briefly served as the junior United States senator from West Virginia in 2010 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Robert Byrd.[14]

Booth Goodwin's wife, Amy Shuler Goodwin, is the mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, having taken office on January 7, 2019. This made Booth Goodwin the first gentleman of Charleston. [15] They wed on April 17, 1999 and have two sons.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Amy Shuler Goodwin - About page". facebook.com.
  2. ^ "Amen. I'm not from Charleston, but I'm for Charleston. Amy Shuler Goodwin and I chose this place to get married,..." twitter.com.
  3. ^ Woodrow, Stephanie (February 12, 2010). "Meet R. Booth Goodwin II". Main Justice. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Alumni Spotight: Robert Booth Goodwin". West Virginia University, College of Business & Economics. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  5. ^ a b The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (January 20, 2010). "President Obama Nominates Five to Serve as U.S. Attorneys". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved March 27, 2011 – via National Archives.
  6. ^ "Byrd, Rockefeller Applaud Goodwin Confirmation". The State Journal. May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  7. ^ Clevenger, Andrew (June 25, 2010). "Goodwin sworn in as U.S. Attorney for Southern W.Va". The Charleston Gazette. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  8. ^ Blinder, Alan (2015-12-28). "U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin Steps Down; Prosecuted Coal Executive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  9. ^ "WV Campaign Finance Pre-Candidate Listing". Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  10. ^ Baxter, Anna (January 4, 2016). "Booth Goodwin files precandidacy papers to run for Governor". WSAZ. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  11. ^ "Official 2016 Primary Election Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  12. ^ McElhinny, Brad (2018-04-19). "Booth Goodwin, ex-prosecutor at Blankenship trial, leads PAC against Jenkins and Morrisey". WV MetroNews. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  13. ^ Joseph Robert Goodwin at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  14. ^ "Manchin Taps Carte Goodwin for Senate Seat". The State Journal. July 16, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  15. ^ writer, Rebecca Carballo Staff (2019-01-07). "Amy Goodwin sworn in as mayor of Charleston". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  16. ^ "Wheeling native Amy Shuler-Goodwin ready to take the reins in Charleston". Weirton Daily Times. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
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Legal offices
Preceded by
Charles Miller
Acting
United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
2010–2015
Succeeded by