PINEVILLE, W.Va. — There will be a new prosecuting attorney in Wyoming County on Friday. Derek Laxton will be sworn in for the job on Friday and take over for Prosecutor Greg Bishop who recently announced he would step down.
Laxton is a Wyoming County native, a graduate of Wyoming East High School who earned his law degree from WVU. He returned to Wyoming County soon after graduation and only worked a couple of months in the private sector before he became an assistant prosecutor, a job he’s held for the past four years. At age 30 he will be one of the youngest in the state, but he’s passionate about the position.
“You can make a lot more money in the private sector, but these are jobs where you can go home at night and sleep well knowing you worked hard to make the place you live a better place,” Laxton told MetroNews.
One of the reasons Bishop left the position was a lack of funding to hire more assistants to help with the workload. Laxton understood the assignment, but still believed it was worth the effort. He also thought there are still enough attorneys willing to make the sacrifice for public service.
“I’m just going to have one other assistant right now. I have to hire a couple of people, but we’re working on that right now,” he explained.
Laxton was appointed to the vacant position by the Wyoming County Commission. He plans to run for the position in the next election.
“I love being a prosecutor and I’m very thankful the County Commission entrusted me with this job. It’s about trying to make the community that I grew up in, I live in, and I’m raising my family in a better place,” he explained.