CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County District Attorney, William A. Shaw, Jr., announces his candidacy for re-election.
Shaw first joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1997 as an assistant district attorney. He was appointed first assistant district attorney in 2001 by the Honorable Paul E. Cherry, a position Shaw held until being elected as the district attorney in 2003.Before his career as a prosecutor, Shaw was employed as a judicial law clerk for then President Judge John K. Reilly, Jr. and Judge Fredric J. Ammerman.
During his tenure with the District Attorney’s Office, Shaw has successfully prosecuted a wide variety of criminal cases including murder, rape, burglary, child pornography, assault, white collar crime, as well as multiple drug related offenses. As the district attorney, Shaw oversees the prosecution of all criminal cases filed in Clearfield County and personally handles the prosecution of major felony cases.
Upon taking his position as district attorney, Shaw embarked on an effort to improve the quality of law enforcement and prosecutions in Clearfield County. Among other things, Shaw saw to it that Clearfield County gained access to the Commonwealth Justice Network (JNET).
JNET is a law enforcement computer network that provides instant access to important criminal history information used to investigate and prosecute crimes. Every municipal police department in Clearfield County now has access to this extremely valuable law enforcement tool.
Shaw also brought JNET to the Clearfield County Courthouse. Prosecutors, probation officers, judges, sheriffs, domestic relations officers, and CYS caseworkers now have access to JNET and can quickly access vital information that would have otherwise taken days to obtain.
Technology is an important tool for prosecutors and Shaw makes use of the latest advancements. Shaw has installed computer programs to track criminal cases. With the use of imaging and scanning technology, Shaw has minimized the amount of space needed to store files and reduced the cost of maintaining records.
Prosecuting crime can be costly and to save tax dollars Shaw takes advantage of the latest computer technology. Shaw created the District Attorney web site, at no cost to the taxpayers of Clearfield County. Information is now provided to defense attorneys electronically. Defense attorney’s and police officers are now able to enter secure portions of the Web site to obtain digital documents. Shaw has reduced the cost of postage, paper and copying saving thousands of tax dollars.
Shaw is a 1985 graduate of Clearfield High School. Following his graduation from high school, Shaw served four years on active duty in the United States Coast Guard. Shaw was stationed in South Florida where he served as a Coast Guard law enforcement officer. During his enlistment, Shaw received extensive training in federal law enforcement and investigation. Shaw has made multiple felony arrests, including arrests for drug smuggling and alien immigration. Shaw has assisted the United States Attorney’s Office prepare for criminal prosecution and has testified as a Coast Guard law enforcement officer in various Federal Courts.
Following his initial enlistment, Shaw worked his way through college and law school by serving in the Coast Guard Reserves. As a reservist, he served on active duty during the summer months, and was stationed on the Great Lakes and the Coast Guard District Headquarters located on Governor’s Island, New York. During his final year of law school, Shaw served as an active duty legal intern for the Coast Guard’s legal division.
Shaw returned to Clearfield County following his initial service in the Coast Guard and enrolled in the first class of students attending the Clearfield Campus of Lock Haven University. Shaw graduated summa cum laude from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a bachelors degree in criminology, and went on to earn his law degree from the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Shaw is a lifelong resident of Clearfield County and he and his wife Jennifer make their home in Pine Township. Shaw is the son of Clearfield County Prothonotary William Shaw and Jeannie Shaw. He is an avid outdoorsman, a member of various sporting clubs and civic organizations, and a member of the St. Francis Catholic Church.