Booth Goodwin
{{short description|American attorney}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Booth Goodwin
| image = R Booth Goodwin US Attorney.jpg
| office = United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
| president = Barack Obama
| term_start = June 25, 2010
| term_end = December 31, 2015
| predecessor = Charles Miller (acting)
| successor = Michael B. Stuart
| birth_name = Robert Booth Goodwin II
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1971}}
| birth_place = Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| relations = Joseph Goodwin (father)
Carte Goodwin (cousin)
| party = Democratic
| spouse = {{marriage|Amy Shuler|1999}}{{cite web |title=Amy Shuler Goodwin - About page |url=https://www.facebook.com/amy.s.goodwin.7/about |website=facebook.com}}{{cite web |title=Amen. I'm not from Charleston, but I'm for Charleston. Amy Shuler Goodwin and I chose this place to get married,... |url=https://twitter.com/boothgoodwin/status/913222112453828608 |website=twitter.com}}
| children = 2
| education = West Virginia University (BA)
Washington and Lee University (JD)
| caption = Goodwin in 2010
}}
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.
Early life and education
Goodwin was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1971.{{Cite news | first=Stephanie | last=Woodrow | url=http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/02/12/meet-r-booth-goodwin-ii/ | title=Meet R. Booth Goodwin II | work=Main Justice | date=February 12, 2010 | access-date=March 27, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101002090615/http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/02/12/meet-r-booth-goodwin-ii/ | archive-date=October 2, 2010 | url-status=dead }} He attended West Virginia University, where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in economics 1993.{{Cite news| url=http://www.be.wvu.edu/alumnispotlight/bgoodwin.htm| title=Alumni Spotight: Robert Booth Goodwin| work=West Virginia University, College of Business & Economics| access-date=March 27, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208054035/http://www.be.wvu.edu/alumnispotlight/bgoodwin.htm| archive-date=February 8, 2011}} He then earned his Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1996.{{Cite web | author=The White House: Office of the Press Secretary | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-nominates-five-serve-us-attorneys | title=President Obama Nominates Five to Serve as U.S. Attorneys | date=January 20, 2010 | via=National Archives | work=whitehouse.gov | access-date=March 27, 2011}}
Career
On January 20, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Goodwin to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 26, 2010 and was sworn into office on June 25, 2010.{{Cite news | url=http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=80498 | title=Byrd, Rockefeller Applaud Goodwin Confirmation | work=The State Journal | date=May 27, 2010 | access-date=March 27, 2011 | url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725075722/http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=80498 | archive-date=July 25, 2011 }}{{Cite news | first=Andrew | last=Clevenger | url=http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201006250961?page=1 | title=Goodwin sworn in as U.S. Attorney for Southern W.Va. | work=The Charleston Gazette | date=June 25, 2010 | access-date=March 27, 2011 | url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309153811/http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201006250961?page=1 | archive-date=March 9, 2012 }} Goodwin prosecuted Don Blankenship, securing a conviction for conspiring to undermine federal mine safety laws, which caused the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.{{Cite news |last=Blinder |first=Alan |date=2015-12-28 |title=U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin Steps Down; Prosecuted Coal Executive |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/29/us/us-attorney-booth-goodwin-steps-down-prosecuted-coal-executive.html |access-date=2024-03-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://cfrs.wvsos.com/#/pre_candidate_list/8|title=WV Campaign Finance Pre-Candidate Listing|access-date=January 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108144807/http://cfrs.wvsos.com/#/pre_candidate_list/8|archive-date=January 8, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Booth-Goodwin-files-precandidacy-papers-to-run-for-Governor-364140501.html|first=Anna|last=Baxter|title=Booth Goodwin files precandidacy papers to run for Governor|work=WSAZ|date=January 4, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2016|archive-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203163116/http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Booth-Goodwin-files-precandidacy-papers-to-run-for-Governor-364140501.html|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://apps.sos.wv.gov/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2016&eid=22&county=Statewide |title=Official 2016 Primary Election Results |publisher=West Virginia Secretary of State |access-date=July 20, 2016}}
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.{{Cite web |last=McElhinny |first=Brad |date=2018-04-19 |title=Booth Goodwin, ex-prosecutor at Blankenship trial, leads PAC against Jenkins and Morrisey |url=https://wvmetronews.com/2018/04/19/booth-goodwin-ex-prosecutor-at-blankenship-trial-leads-pac-against-jenkins-and-morrisey/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=WV MetroNews |language=en-US}}
Personal life
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.{{FJC Bio|884|nid=1381361|name=Joseph Robert Goodwin}} 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.{{Cite news | url=http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=82969 | title=Manchin Taps Carte Goodwin for Senate Seat | work=The State Journal | date=July 16, 2010 | access-date=March 27, 2011 | url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724224719/http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=82969 | archive-date=July 24, 2011 }}
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. {{Cite web |last=writer |first=Rebecca Carballo Staff |date=2019-01-07 |title=Amy Goodwin sworn in as mayor of Charleston |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/kanawha_county/amy-goodwin-sworn-in-as-mayor-of-charleston/article_1ac04693-92af-5daf-bd57-adbb4734a072.html |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=Charleston Gazette-Mail |language=en}} They wed on April 17, 1999 and have two sons.{{cite web|url=https://www.weirtondailytimes.com/news/local-news/2018/12/wheeling-native-amy-shuler-goodwin-ready-to-take-the-reins-in-charleston/|title=Wheeling native Amy Shuler-Goodwin ready to take the reins in Charleston|work=Weirton Daily Times|access-date=February 17, 2019}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{official|http://www.boothgoodwin.com}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Charles Miller
{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia|years=2010–2015}}
{{s-aft|after=Michael B. Stuart}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, Booth}}
Category:20th-century American lawyers
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:Lawyers from Charleston, West Virginia
Category:United States attorneys for the Southern District of West Virginia
Category:Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni