photo by: Photo by Warren Scott

Attorney Robert McCoid, standing left, and Brooke County Assistant Prosecutor John Kyle discussed a matter before the second day of a trial for Eddy Trimnel, seated, who was found not guilty of charges of wanton endangerment with a firearm and brandishing a firearm on Wednesday by a Brooke County jury.

The loss of a West Virginia criminal defense attorney and civil rights litigator, whom his colleagues labeled “one of the best in the state,” has left the Northern Panhandle legal community reflecting on Robert McCoid’s legacy.

McCoid, 59, passed away on Tuesday at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital after a fight with cancer. He was known over his three decades of practice for his handling of many high-profile murder, DUI and other criminal cases. At the time of his death, McCoid served as the president of the Ohio County Bar Association and received numerous accolades over his career, including the Legal Redress Award from the local NAACP in 1997.

Though they often were on opposite sides of a case, Ohio County Prosecutor Shawn Turak remarked on McCoid’s skills in the courtroom. She said it would be “a long time” before the Northern Panhandle legal community saw the “likes of someone as talented in every regard as Robert.”

“A lot of lawyers can be really excellent writers, but maybe not as good in a courtroom, but Robert mastered every phase of being a lawyer, from his written briefs to his ability to be forceful in a courtroom,” Turak said. “More than anybody else, he was willing to look at someone truly and see them for something more than just the crime they were charged with. I think that speaks to the depth of his humanity and his compassion.”

Wheeling-based litigation attorney Donald Tennant, who served as co-counsel on various legal matters with McCoid, said the criminal defense attorney was “one of the best in the state.” He noted McCoid’s “amazing winning record” of jury acquittals in “some of the most difficult cases.”

“He was passionate about caring for the least of us,” Tennant said. “There’s a huge vacuum left behind by his loss. There was only one Robert McCoid, and others will have to step up.”

U.S. Magistrate Judge James Mazzone practiced law with McCoid before he took the state bench in 2001. McCoid supported Mazzone’s candidacy when he ran for the position in 2000, and the two remained friends throughout Mazzone’s tenure on the state and then federal bench.

Mazzone said McCoid was not only an outstanding attorney but an outstanding person, as he “cared deeply for the rule of law and advocated zealously for his clients in the courtroom.”

“He was always respectful of the other side that he was advocating against – witnesses, court personnel, the judge,” Mazzone said. “He did not rely upon courtroom antics or distractions to win. He relied on his sheer intellect and abilities, which were off the charts.”

Weirton-based real estate and oil and gas attorney Daniel Guida met McCoid during Mazzone’s judicial campaign in 2000, and they became “very close friends” over the years. The two’s relationship included splitting tickets for Pirates games and McCoid stopping by Guida’s law office whenever he had cases in Hancock County.

“We all know he was a great criminal defense attorney, but there’s so much more to Rob in his life,” Guida said. “Whenever an attorney did something good or won a case, Rob was the first to congratulate them, and he meant it. What I’ll miss about him the most is that genuineness and what a great guy he was in many different aspects, besides the law.”

Ohio County Circuit Judge David Sims was a partner with McCoid in the late 1990s and early 2000s, noting he was an “amazing legal writer” and a “fighter for people.”

Beyond his legal skills, Sims said McCoid mentored younger attorneys in the area and was “always willing” to share his advice and wisdom with them.

“I think that’s what the legal community will probably miss the most- just having him there to lend an ear,” Sims said. “Everybody trusted him and really cared about him, and he gave a lot, not only to the lawyers, but to the community.”

McCoid, Noon and Saurbier Law Firm Partner Braden Noon was mentored by McCoid when he first began working as an associate for the firm in 2022. Noon said he would strive to defend his clients “fiercely in the courtroom” and with the “same sense of dignity” as McCoid.

“He was tremendous at understanding those he defended as a person, especially those suffering with substance abuse issues,” Noon said. “It’s no secret that he was a recovering alcoholic, and he would regularly share his recovery story with people to try to help them find a way into recovery for themselves. We’re losing a tremendous fighter for the most vulnerable population, and that’s a very hard loss for the community and lawyers in the area, especially those who practice in the criminal realm.”