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Privacy protected and confidential information is restricted from public access for 75 years per Code of Virginia 42.1-78, 2.2-3800, and 2.2-3705.1-8. Types of previous restricted information may include, but are not limited to: privacy protected information and attorney-client privileged material.
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Records of the Office of the Attorney General of Governor Lawrence Douglas Wilder, 1974-1994 (bulk 1990-1993). Accession 35539. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Transferred by Governor Lawrence Douglas Wilder on October 31, 1996.
Original folder titles have been retained.
Lawrence Douglas Wilder was born in Richmond, Va., on January 17, 1931. He graduated from Virginia Union University in 1951 and afterwards was drafted into the Army, where he served in the Korean War from 1952-1953 and received a bronze star. He then attended the Howard University School of Law and graduated in 1959. Douglas Wilder was elected to the Virginia Senate in 1969 as the first African American member since Reconstruction and served in the Senate for five terms. In 1985, he was elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor as the first African American to be elected to statewide office in Virginia. L. Douglas Wilder won the election for Governor of Virginia in 1989 and served from January 13, 1990 to January 14, 1994. He was the first African American to be elected as Governor in United States.
The Office of the Attorney General is a division of the Office of the Governor in the Executive Branch of Virginia state Government. During the Wilder Administration, the Office was headed by Mary Sue Terry, until she resigned in 1993 to run for governor. Stephen D. Rosenthal, formerly the chief deputy assistant general, replaced her and served until 1994. The attorney general was assisted by a chief deputy attorney general and four deputy attorneys general. The Attorney General's Office was responsible for providing legal advice and representation in court for the governor and state government; providing legal advice and official opinions to members of the General Assembly and local government officials; defending the state in cases of criminal appeals and suits against the state; defending the constitutionality of state laws; and collecting money owed to various state institutions.
Records of the Office of the Attorney General, 1974-1994 (bulk 1990-1993), during the administration of Governor Lawrence Douglas Wilder. The collection is housed in 25 boxes and includes correspondence, court records, memorandums, newspaper clippings, reports, summons, subpoenas, and other documents. The collection is arranged into xx series: Series I: Case Files, Series II:
This collection is arranged into the following series: Series I: Case Files, Series II: General Files, Series III: Subpoenas and Summons, and Series IV: Settlements.
The Case Files series is housed in 14 boxes, and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. It includes four subseries. Subseries have been designated for A: Case files; B: Davis Cases; C: Koch Carbon; and D: Terry v. Wilder. The series consists of correspondence, court records, memorandums, reports, and other documents.
This subseries is housed in 6 boxes and includes correspondence, court records, memorandums, reports, and other documents. The cases are arranged alphabetically by folder title.
This subseries is housed in 3 boxes and includes correspondence, court records, memorandums, reports, and other documents. The series consists of cases related to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Michigan v. Davis, 1989, which ruled that states could not tax federal retirement benefits if they exempted state pensions from taxation. This led to cases in several states when retired federal employees filed suit seeking refunds for state income taxes, including Henry Harper, et al., v. Virginia Department of Taxation, filed in 1990.
This subseries is housed in 2 boxes and includes correspondence, court records, memorandums, reports, and other documents. The cases in this subseries involve Koch Carbon, an affiliate of Koch Industries, Inc. Koch Carbon sued the Commonwealth of Virginia, alleging that the presence of Keen Mountain State Prison compromised their operations.
This subseries is housed in 3 boxes and includes correspondence, court records, memorandums, reports, and other documents. The cases in this subseries relate to Attorney General Mary Sue Terry's lawsuit against Gov. L. Douglas Wilder. Gov. Wilder attempted to remove Terry as legal counsel for the Virginia Retirement System, citing a conflict of interest. Terry denied that Wilder had the authority to remove or replace her. The initial ruling in Terry's favor was overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court.
The General Files series is housed in 5 boxes, and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. The series consists of agreements, correspondence, court records, memorandums, newspaper clippings, reports, and other documents.
The Subpoenas and Summons series is housed in 2 boxes, and is arranged by year. The series consists of supboenas and summons issued to state government employees, related correspondence, and other documents.
The Settlements series is housed in 4 boxes, and is arranged chronologically. The series consists of correspondence, court records, memorandums, settlement agreements, and other documents. The records in this subseries are restricted for 75 years.
Privacy protected and confidential information is restricted from public access for 75 years per Code of Virginia 42.1-78 , 2.2-3800 and 2.2-3705.1-8. Types of restricted information may include, but are not limited to: privacy protected information, mediation and settlement discussions, and attorney-client privileged material.