Assistant Attorney General Charlene Vaughn asks Malik Z. Shabazz about ways she can aid in pressing for hate-crime charges in the Megan Williams case during a rally Tuesday, Dec. 18 at First Baptist Church in Charleston. Though it was unclear if Vaughn was speaking in her official or personal capacity, her boss, Attorney General Darrell V. McGraw expressed an interest earlier this month in taking over prosecution of the case. (Photo by Lawrence Smith)

Vaughan

CHARLESTON - The desire of West Virginia's Attorney General to play a role in the prosecution of a high-profile civil rights case apparently has been advanced after one of his assistants offered to aid civil rights leaders in their push for hate-crime charges.

Among the nearly 200 people who attended a follow-up rally for Megan Williams at First Baptist Church on Dec. 18 in Charleston was Charlene A. Vaughan. Currently, Vaughan is the deputy attorney general for the Department of Health and Human Services' division.

After the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the rally's keynote speakers, departed to catch a private flight out of Charleston, Malik Z. Shabazz, president of the Black Lawyers for Justice, and one of Williams' legal advisers, opened the floor for questions. Vaughan was among the half-dozen people who were able to address Shabazz and the audience prior to the rally's conclusion.

Though it is unclear if she was speaking in her official or personal capacity, Vaughan asked Shabazz "What can I do to help you?" Also, Vaughan said she was delighted at the level of activism in the case.

"I haven't been this excited in 30 years," she said.

Since the first media reports indicated that Williams, 20, was allegedly kidnapped, raped and tortured by Bobby Brewster, 24; Frankie Brewster, 49; Danny J. Combs, 20; George A. Messer, 27; Karen Burton, 46; and Alisha Burton, 23 for over a week in September at a trailer in Big Creek, Shabazz has led the call for hate-crime charges to be filed in the case. On Nov. 3, he along with Williams and her family led an estimated 1,000 people though Charleston in an effort to persuade both state and federal prosecutors to file hate-crime charges.

After the first march and rally, Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham said he was seeking an opinion from McGraw on the matter. However, late last month, Fran Hughes, chief deputy attorney general, informed Abraham via a letter not to expect any advice from their office.

Shortly thereafter, McGraw offered to take over the case should it become "problematic, even inflammatory ..." Citing the lack of prosecutorial powers the attorney general has in criminal cases, Abraham declined McGraw's offer.

The West Virginia Record attempted to obtain a comment from McGraw, who is already actively campaigning for a fifth term as attorney general, concerning Vaughan's comments. He did not return repeated telephone calls by presstime.

According to the attorney general's Web site, Vaughan came to work for the office in April 1991 in the DHHR division's employment law unit. Before her promotion to deputy attorney general in 1995, Vaughan was promoted to Senior Assistant Attorney General in 1993 and served as litigation counsel for the DHHR Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification.

From January 2002 to February 2005, Vaughan served as DHHR's General Counsel, and assumed the additional responsibilities of overseeing all DHHR litigation and assisting the Secretary and Bureau Commissioners with legal strategy and negotiations.

A graduate of Marshall University with a B.S. degree in political science, Vaughan graduated from West Virginia University's College of Law in 1980. According to its Web site, she admitted to the state Bar Association that same year.

In addition to state court, Vaughan is admitted to practice in both federal district courts in West Virginia, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., and the U.S. Supreme Court.