The Appellate Division of the Attorney General's Office represents the State of West Virginia in criminal matters before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and in the various Federal courts. Our offices are in the Main Office of the Attorney General, at the State Capitol. Attorneys in the Appellate Division brief and argue appeals from circuit court criminal convictions and denials of writs of habeas corpus, and defend original jurisdiction prohibition, mandamus and post-conviction habeas corpus petitions filed with the West Virginia Supreme Court in criminal cases. Our attorneys also defend the State in federal habeas corpus proceedings filed by State prisoners under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 in the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Appellate Division attorneys provide advice to county prosecuting attorneys and law enforcement officers regarding criminal law and procedure, and may answer requests for Attorney General opinions if assigned to them. The Contracts Section of the Appellate Division is responsible for the approval of State contracts, deeds and leases, surety bonds posted with State agencies, local government bond issues, and municipal charters for the Attorney General.

For more information, please contact the Appellate Division of the Attorney General's Office:

State Capitol Complex,
Bldg. 1, Room E-26
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone: 304-558-2021
Fax: 304-558-0140