Attorney General Invests In Prosecution Training To Combat Drug Crimes 

CHARLESTON, W.Va – West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute officials announced today that a
$100,000 contribution from Office of Attorney General Darrell McGraw was received to reimburse
prosecuting attorneys and assistant prosecutors who attend the National District Attorneys
Association’s National Advocacy Center for training necessary to effective drug prosecution. This
contribution by the Office of the Attorney General is part of the proceeds from the settlement of a
lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.

The Center provides comprehensive best practice training programs related to prosecution, including
but not limited to, trial advocacy, cross examination, use of courtroom technology, forensic evidence,
and experts. It is also expected that the Center will bring a regional training specifically targeted at drug
prosecution to West Virginia in the near future.

The attorney general made the presentation to the Prosecuting Attorneys Institute's Executive Council
members Kent Carper and Chris Chiles at the 2008 Drug Endangered Children's Conference on
September 3rd in Charleston, at which more than 200 first-responder participants were in attendance.
"This funding will help in our fight to reduce substance abuse in our state by educating state
prosecutors on a number of cutting edge topics, such as drug courts and other forms of alternative
sentencing, in addition to traditional forms of prosecution and punishment," said Executive Director
Philip Morrison of the Prosecuting Attorneys Institute. “The Institute’s Executive Council and the
Attorney General should be commended for this initiative.”

The National Advocacy Center is jointly operated by the Department of Justice, Executive Office for
United States Attorneys and the National District Attorneys Association. Located in Columbia, South
Carolina, this facility which includes 10 full-size courtrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology
was built to train federal, state, and local prosecutors and litigators in advocacy skills and management
of legal operations, with more than 10,000 individuals trained annually.

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