Some of the content on this site can be syndicated using a format called RSS, denoted by: , the white-on-orange XML button. Users can subscribe to these feeds using software programs called news aggregators; feeds can also be incorporated directly into Web sites and other Web applications. (Learn More)

The Court has four newsfeeds available:

 Recent
 Civil
 Criminal
 Family

The feeds are condensed versions of the main content on the recent opinions page, the civil topics page, the criminal topics page, and the family topics page.

To learn more about syndication and obtain resources for implementing this solution in your jurisdiction, go to: (Syndication and Weblogs: Publish and Distribute Your Court Information to the Web With links to resources for courts and other public information providers)

The Supreme Court Clerk's Office is the central point of contact for doing business with the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Clerk's Office accepts papers for filing, preserves all court documents and information, and performs a wide variety of duties for the court, the public, and attorneys. We are happy to answer questions regarding the status of cases before the Court. We will also answer routine procedural questions. However, we cannot provide legal advice or referrals. The Clerk's Office is open for business 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

RECENT RULES ORDERS: For the convenience of the bar, bench, and the public, all recent rules orders are now available on a single page.

REBELS, RADICALS & RED MEN -- Legal and Historical Perpsectives on Enemies and the Rule of Law in West Virginia: 1863-1913. This seminar was webcast live from the Supreme Court Chamber on Thursday May 31st from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. This lecture was approved for MCLE credit. The live webcast has been archived and is available for viewing.
Click here to begin the archived webcast.

MERITS BRIEFS ONLINE: As of the November 9th, 2004 Argument Docket, links to PDF versions of merits briefs in all cases to be argued will be posted on the relevant argument docket page. Free electronic access to merits briefs should help to promote a better understanding among the bar, the public and the press of cases set for argument before the Court. The Clerk's Office is proud to provide this additional point of public access.

STATISTICAL REPORTS: The Clerk's Office compiles an annual statistical report that covers case filings, discretionary petition disposition, and other measures of interest to those who follow the Supreme Court. The following reports are available online:

  2008 Statistical Report  (Posted July 1, 2009)
  2007 Statistical Report
  2006 Statistical Report
  2005 Statistical Report
  2004 Statistical Report    2004 Supplement - Trends in Opinions
  2003 Statistical Report
  2002 Statistical Report
  2001 Statistical Report
  2000 Statistical Report
  1999 Statistical Report
  1998 Statistical Report

For historical filing information, contact the Clerk's Office during business hours.

 Filing & Copies

FILING PAPERS WITH THE COURT: We accept filings by mail, by facsimile, and over the counter during business hours. For filing details, please consult the Rules of Appellate Procedure. All filings initiating a new case are confirmed by letter. Subsequent filings are not confirmed by letter. Please contact the office during business hours to check the status of filings in a particular case.

OBTAINING COPIES OF PAPERS FILED: All public filings are available for inspection during office hours. Charges for copies vary depending on whether the cases are pending or closed. We are able to retrieve pleadings in most closed cases from archive materials; it is advisable to allow sufficient time for processing a record request that must be retrieved from archived material. In cases of significant public interest, we will make filings available on this Web site. The charge for copies is as follows: $1 per page for all opinions, 25¢ per page for copies of documents in pending cases and $1 per page for documents in closed cases. Fax charges are $5 for the first page, $2 for the second page and $1 per page after that. There is a $2 per page charge for any documents reproduced from microfilm.

 Docket Information

ABOUT THE ARGUMENT DOCKET: The Supreme Court of Appeals hold two terms of court each year. The January term begins on the second Tuesday in January and continues until July. The September term begins on the first Wednesday in September and continues until December. During the court term, oral arguments are held two or three times a month. Oral arguments are open to the public. For questions about the argument docket, please contact Lou Stout in the Clerk's Office during business hours.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: In addition to hearing oral arguments, the Court reviews petitions for appeal, writs, and miscellaneous motions during regularly scheduled private conferences. Both the argument docket and conference schedule are posted by month. Short summaries of each case on the argument docket are posted shortly before the argument date. Results of conferences are posted after counsel of record are contacted regarding the results.

 Opinions

RELEASE OF SLIP OPINIONS: The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia releases slip opinions weekdays at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, except for separate opinions, which may be released at any time after the majority opinion is released. All opinions are released by the Clerk's Office. Prior to release, the Clerk's Office contacts the parties and the lower court regarding the result of the opinion. Shortly after the release time, new slip opinions are added to the current term list. In addition, the Clerk prepares summaries of recent opinions are available, as well as topical pages covering civil, criminal, and family law matters.

Subscribe to the Opinion Summary Mailing List. This e-mail bulletin is prepared throughout the term by the Clerk's Office. Subscribers to the free service receive periodic e-mail messages containing summaries of recently-filed opinions, organized by topic for easy reference, along with links to the full text opinions. As a supplement to the periodic e-mails, collected opinion summaries from the following prior terms are available online: September 2001 Term; January 2002 Term; and the September 2002 Term.

Miss an Issue Recently? The text of recent issues can be accssed by using the following links:

 Opinion Services

Current Awareness Keep up to date on the most recent opinions by subscribing to the Opinion Summary Mailing List. This e-mail bulletin is prepared throughout the term by the Clerk's Office. Subscribers to the free service receive summaries of recently-filed opinions, organized by topic for easy reference, along with links to the full text opinions.

Collected Opinion Summaries: A supplement to the periodic e-mails, collected opinion summaries from prior terms are available online on single pages for easy searching and printing: September 2001 Term; January 2002 Term; and the September 2002 Term. If do not receive the opinion summaries by e-mail, summaries of the most recent opinions, along with other news, are posted on this page. If you are only interested in certain types of opinions or court news, the updates are separated into three topical pages: civil, criminal, and family law matters.

Topical Index of Opinions:  The Clerk's Office prepares concise summaries of the Court's opinions containing new points of law,  grouped by topic, in a manner that can be easily used by lawyers, judges, and members of the public as a general reference guide to recent Supreme Court opinions. From time to time, these summaries are collected into printed and electronic formats. The newest electronic topical index is this Web-based outline of cases filed in the September 2002 term.

Topical Index Volume I is a 470 page spiral-bound volume covering opinions issued September 1989 through December 1998.  Volume I is available in a print at a cost of $25.00.

Topical Index Volume II.Covers all 1999 and 2000 signed opinions in-depth.  In addition, short summaries of all per curiam opinions filed in 2000 are included in the updated Volume II.  Volume II is available in a perfect-bound printed version at a cost of $15.00.

Get Both Topical Index Volumes on CD-ROM for $25

To order the print or electronic version of the Topical Index, contact the Clerk's Office.

 Opinion Information

What is a slip opinion? When the Court grants a petition for appeal, the case is set for briefing and oral argument, if necessary, and is then submitted to the Court for decision. When the Court decides the case, it issues a printed document called a slip opinion, which contains the decision of the Court, as well as infomration about the case, the authorship of the opinion, and the "syllabus of points adjudicated" or syllabus for short. The syllabus is a helpful guide to understanding slip opinions, because it contains a concise summary of the points of law reviewed in the opinion.

Are slip opinions final? The "slip opinions" appearing on this Web site are not the final, official opinions of the Court.   Slip opinions are subject to modification and petitions for rehearing pursuant to Rule 24 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure. Readers are therefore advised, that opinions of the Court remain subject to clerical correction until officially published in the bound volumes of the West Virginia Reports (West Publishing Co.). For other information about the use of this site, please consult the Terms of use.  

Corrections: Readers are encouraged to notify the Clerk of the Supreme Court, State Capitol, Room E-317, Charleston, WV 25301, of any typographical or other formal errors so that corrections may be made before final publication in the permanent volume. 

Obtaining copies of opinions or briefs: Users are encouraged to print documents as needed from this website. Most documents can be printed directly from within the web browser. More recent opinions (2000 - present) are available as Adobe™ Acrobat™ PDF© files, a format that preserves the look and feel of the original slip opinions.  (Adobe Acrobat PDF files require use of a free Reader.)  If you wish to obtain hard copy of any of these opinions or other opinions or  briefs you may do so by contacting the Supreme Court Clerk's Office at (304) 558-2601. The charge for copies is as follows: $1 per page for all opinions, .25 per page for copies of documents in pending cases and $1 per page for documents in closed cases.  Fax charges are $5 for the first page, $2 for the second page and $1 per page after that.   There is a $2 per page charge for any documents reproduced from microfilm.

©1998 - 2007 Clerk's Office of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Page last revised September 2007