A Message From the Chief

"Judicial System Changes Should be Deliberate, Fact-Based"

While a young litigator, I had the opportunity to “carry the bag” of E. Glenn Robinson, a founding member of my former firm, Robinson & McElwee. For me, it was an opportunity to learn from a master litigator who was then scaling down his practice. Glenn instilled in those around him a deep respect for the rule of law, a dedication to facts as the basis of proof, a healthy skepticism for positions founded on rhetoric and supposition rather than facts, and the need to act with reasoned deliberation in making important decisions.(Read More...)

Justice Davis to be Chief in 2010

During the Supreme Court's final administrative conference of the term, on the motion of current Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin, the Justices voted to maintain the Chief Justice rotation that has been in place since its order of 1980 and, therefore, next in the rotation is Justice Robin Jean Davis.(Read More...)

West Virginia Gets "A" in National Report

West Virginia received one of the top grades in a national review of the way states appoint attorneys to represent the interests of children in abuse and neglect juvenile court proceedings.(Read More...) 

Northern Panhandle Re-Entry Court Established

Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin and Governor Joe Manchin III signed administrative orders on Friday, September 18, 2009, establishing the Northern Panhandle Re-Entry Court.(Read More...) 

Chief Justice Benjamin Attends Juvenile Drug Court opening

Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin traveled to Princeton on December 10, 2009, for a ceremony to celebrate the opening of a juvenile drug court in Mercer County.(Read More...)

Chief Justice Speaks at Regional Bar Meetings 

 Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin spoke at regional meetings of the West Virginia State Bar in five West Virginia county seats in October.(Read More...)

Chief Justice Leads Delegation to Summit on Children

Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin led a West Virginia team at the "Summit III: Third National Judicial Leadership Summit on the Protection of Children," which took place October 15 to 17, 2009, in Austin, Texas.(Read More...) 

Domestic Violence Registry Now Operational Statewide

West Virginia's Domestic Violence Registry became operational statewide October 13 when the last two counties - Kanawha and Greenbrier - went online.(Read More...) 

Access to Justice Commission Meets; Chooses Chairman

The first organizational meeting of the Access to Justice Commission met Friday, October 30, 2009, in the Davis Gallery at the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown.(Read More...)

Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Officers Sworn In

Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. McHugh swore in four new sex offender intensive supervision officers during a ceremony in the Supreme Court Chamber on Tuesday, October 20, 2009.(Read More...)

Supreme Court Holds Adoption Month Press Conference

Nine-year-old Savannah Emch said it more eloquently than all the adults who preceded her could: "Now I'm happy. I have a home."  The student at Charleston's J.E. Robbins Elementary School spoke on November 19, 2009, at a press conference at the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in honor of National Adoption Month.(Read More...)

Justice McHugh Talks to Slovakian Visitors

Visitors from Charleston's sister city in Slovakia, Banska Bystrica, visited the Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on October 20, 2009.(Read More...) 

Court Reporters Have First Education Conference

The West Virginia Official Court Reporters Association held its first education conference at the Tamarack Conference Center in Beckley October 13-15.(Read More...)

Governor Dedicates New Courtrooms 

Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin and Governor Joe Manchin III dedicated two new courtrooms in Mercer County on Monday, November 30, 2009.(Read More...)

Historian Talks About John Brown Trial in Courtroom Where it Occurred

The 1859 trial of John Brown was the most important trial in the history of America, historian Brian McGinty told an audience of about 200 people gathered in the Jefferson County Courthouse on October 15, 2009, the eve of 150th anniversary of Brown's raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry.(Read More...)

Circuit Judges Given Awards 

Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent D. Benjamin honored Circuit Judges Russell M. Clawges, Jr., and James J. Rowe on September 13, 2009, for their election as  ASTAR Science and Technology Fellows.(Read More...)

Justices, Judges, Support Education Throughout the State

Every year, students across the state compete for the prestigious right to be a United States Senate Youth Program scholarship recipient. The event is sponsored by the Hearst Foundation and will be in its forty-eighth year as a program this January.(Read More...)

Transitions

Kanawha County Circuit Judge Irene Berger appointed to federal bench.  Carrie Webster appointed to circuit bench in Kanawha Countiy.(Read More...)

State Law Library News

The State Law Library sponsored a free informational session on long-term health care on Saturday, October 23. Roy Herzbach, Regional Ombudsman Supervisor of West Virginia's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, discussed enhancing the quality of life and improving the level of care for senior citizens who are housed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other types of care homes.(Read More...)

Compensatory Time Policy

On November 1, 2009, the Supreme Court's revision of the Compensatory Time section of the West Virginia Personnel System Manual became effective.  The revision complies with federal and state wage and hour laws.(Read More...)

Annual Leave Carryover

An employee may not carry more than forty days annual leave forward from one year (January 1 to December 31) to the next under Section 8.1 (E) of the Personnel Manual. The Supreme Court will make no exceptions(Read More...)

IRS Announces 2010 Standard Mileage Rates

The Internal Revenue Service issues the 2010 optional standard mileage rates on December 3, 2009. The standard mileage rates are used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes.(Read More...)

PEIA Notices

If you belong to the PEIA PPB Plan, a managed care plan, or have life insurance only coverage, it is your responsibility to update your PEIA enrollment records. For example, changes in your family, a new address, a change in marital status, coverage qualification for a dependent child, etc.(Read More...)

Request to Chief Judges' Secretaries

The Administrative Office is requesting all chief judges' secretaries to advise Mary Greene who the chief judge will be in 2010 so the AO has accurate information for the multi-judge circuits.(Read More...)

 

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