CLARKSBURG, W. Va. — After over a decade, the prosecutor for Harrison County has announced his resignation.
“Personally, I’m ready to move to do something else,” Joe Shaffer said. “I want to return to private practice. I’ll be doing that fairly shortly. I think I’ve accomplished everything that I’ve needed to accomplish here.”
The announcement came Wednesday that after the equivalent to three terms, Shaffer will step down effective Monday, a day after he took the position 12 years ago.
When reflecting on the work done during his tenure, Shaffer credited the hard work done by both his staff and law enforcement officers within the county putting together solid cases to bring about justice.
He said the some of the most satisfying work they did together dealt with protecting children.
“The child abuse and neglect cases where you can take children out of an abusive or neglecting home, that’s very rewarding,” he said. “The press, you guys don’t get to see them because those are closed cases but those are very rewarding when you can save a kids life.”
Shaffer served as the legal counsel for the Harrison County Commission during his tenure. On Thursday, he attended his last meeting, where the commissioners lauded his work and commitment to the job.
“Joe’s been one heck of a leader,” Commission President Ron Watson said. “We hate to see him go. He wants to go and continue private practice, we wish the best for him, but he certainly made his mark while he was here.”
The commission will be tasked with finding Shaffer’s replacement. While he did not have any public endorsements, Shaffer hoped they would continue with the same pursuit of justice.
“Sometimes justice is not merely convicting somebody,” he said. “Sometimes justice is taking a person, a good person who’s done a bad thing maybe because of an addiction and giving them a second chance at a better life. It’s good for them. It’s good for society.”
An interim prosecutor will be named by the county commission Friday at 9 a.m. in the commission’s chambers. A search for a long-term replacement will begin after.