Gov. Phil Scott appointed Ward H. Goodenough as the new Windsor County state’s attorney Wednesday.
Goodenough, of Woodstock, takes over the position from former state’s attorney David Cahill, who announced his resignation in October and stepped down this month.
“Ward made clear he would hold criminals fully accountable. His experience as a deputy state’s attorney, perspective as a volunteer firefighter and relationships with local law enforcement will also serve him well,” Scott said in a press release.
Cahill was elected to the position as a Democrat, and in keeping with tradition, Scott sought advice of who to appoint from the Windsor County Democratic Committee. The committee said all nominees “would be a capable appointee and maintain the level of service and integrity the office requires,” the press release says.
Goodenough has previously held the role of deputy state’s attorney for Rutland and Windsor counties since 2015. He’s had an annual caseload exceeding 300, ranging from disorderly conduct to aggravated domestic assault and kidnapping.
He is also a volunteer firefighter in Woodstock and served on the Woodstock village board of trustees from 2014-2019.
Goodenough currently prosecutes cases in the northern half of Windsor County.
“I look forward to working to achieve outcomes that protect victims, reduce recidivism and curb the cycle of violence as Windsor County State’s Attorney,” Goodenough said. “I look forward to working with Governor Scott’s administration in our shared mission of protecting the public.”
The Valley News previously reported that upon Cahill’s notice of resignation, Goodenough had been seeking an endorsement from the county’s Democratic committee. Deputy State’s Attorneys Heidi Remick and Karen Oelschlaeger also sought the appointment to state’s attorney.
In January, Cahill notified the governor that he was frustrated Scott had not named his successor and that he was appointing Meghan Place, Windsor County victims’ advocate, as interim state’s attorney.
The county’s top prosecutor position comes with a salary this year of $116,500.
Goodenough holds an master’s in history and political science from the University of Edinburgh and a juris doctor, cum laude, from Vermont Law School.
Cahill’s time in Windsor County saw a spike in the number of opioid related cases come to his office, a change which he told Valley News in 2017 forced him to rethink the role of a prosecutor. In 2016, Cahill launched the Windsor Rapid Accountability Program, which helps connect nonviolent drug offenders with resources in the community to prevent reoffending, instead of prosecuting them.
