
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 23, 1993                   TAG: 9312230012
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ASKED TO QUIT? BLAME WARDEN

Q: Did Gov.-elect George Allen's call for the resignations of 450 state employees result from a bill passed during the latter days of Gov. Charles Robb's administration, introduced by Robb as a result of some difficulty created by a prison warden who angered the governor? As I recall, legislation was passed that declared several lower-management positions appointive. L.F., Fincastle

A: You're right. The informal name of that 1985 legislation was the "get Garraghty bill" and it came after Robb was unable to fire Warden David Garraghty at Nottoway.

About 500 top agency managers, including all prison wardens, were removed from the state's grievance procedure, meaning they could be fired at will.

Garraghty still is a corrections employee - technically, at least - but the legislation gave Robb and subsequent governors a much deeper reach into the state bureaucracy.

Robb's administration had cut the Corrections Department budget. In 1984, the escape of Richmond's murderous Briley brothers and four other inmates from Mecklenburg's death row embarrassed Robb and the Corrections Department. Garraghty publicly blamed those problems on the budget cuts.

The bill that Capitol insiders named for him followed soon after.

Garraghty continued as warden at Nottoway until 1992, when he was dismissed after a female employee accused him of sexual harassment. He appealed the dismissal through administrative procedures and was reinstated to a lower-grade desk job where he didn't supervise anyone.

He also sued the employee who brought the harassment allegation and won a $277,597 jury verdict, part of which is still being reviewed by the court. Meantime, Garraghty has been on sick leave.

Now, his attorney says, Garraghty is watching to see if Allen's interest in replacing some Corrections Department supervisors will open a door for him to come back as a warden.

\ Some can't play Lotto

Q: The news story about the Patrick County man winning the Virginia lottery Dec. 18 noted that lottery employees cannot play. Who else is ineligible? J.L., Roanoke

A: People younger than 18 cannot play. Neither can employees of vendors who do business with the lottery - companies that provide instant tickets and vending machines, for example. Advertising-agency employees who work on the lottery account aren't allowed to win.

The five members of the state lottery board cannot play.

These restrictions extend to members of the households of those employees and board members.

Retailers who sell lottery tickets are eligible to play. Some retailers, however, don't let employees buy tickets at their store.

So, it's possible for a store owner to sell himself or herself a winning ticket. The owners' chances of winning are no better than anyone else's, said lottery spokeswoman Paula Otto.

Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.

by CNB