Tim Heaphy and Eric Holder at Friday's swearing in ceremony (Gregory Wood)
Tim Heaphy was sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virgina Friday, with Attorney General Eric Holder on hand, along with Heaphy’s family, friends and colleagues. Holder later delivered a glowing speech to a packed house at the University of Virginia’s law school in Charlottesville, Heaphy’s alma mater. Friday’s swearing-in was ceremonial; he officially took the post on Oct. 16, just two days after he was confirmed by the Senate.
Attorneys General rarely leave Washington to attend swearing in ceremonies, but this marked the fourth fifth time Holder has done so.
Holder has deployed the power of his office in order to spotlight rising stars within the department and to draw subtle contrasts with the Bush administration. Holder was one of Heaphy’s first bosses — hiring him as the assistant U.S. attorney in Washington’s federal district.
During his remarks, Holder said Heaphy quickly became his go-to-guy in the Washington office.
“I have no doubt he will handle his new responsibilities as he handed his previous responsibilities — with confidence, diligence and, most importantly, integrity,” Holder said.
Holder also emphasized his priorities as the country’s chief prosecutor during the speech, stressing the importance of law enforcement and keeping citizens safe.
In addition to Heaphy, Holder has attended the ceremonial investitures for U.S. Attorneys Joyce Vance in the Northern District of Alabama, B. Todd Jones in Minnesota and Preet Bharara in the Southern District of New York.
Heaphy said that he had not sought the position, but was happy for the opportunity. In an interview with WVIR, a Charlottesville television station, he said he would put increased emphasis on rural issues such as the abuse of prescription drugs and methamphetamines and on urban problems such as open-air drug sales and violence.
But Heaphy added that he would not be governed solely by his personal priorities: “The priority is often dictated by events, God forbid there is a terrible tragedy like the Virginia Tech shooting. Prosecutors who articulate priorities, quickly get overtaken by emergencies.”
After nearly 13 years prosecuting cases in federal courts, Heaphy spent three years at the Charlottesville law firm McGuire Woods LLP.
Heaphy replaces acting U.S. Attorney Julia C. Dudley, who stepped in for John Brownlee after he resigned in 2008 in order to make an eventually unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination for Virginia attorney general.
Also in attendance at the ceremony was Heaphy’s father-in-law, Eric K. Shinseki, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
