W.Va. Book Festival Announces Featured Authors For 2024
West Virginia’s annual book festival celebrating national and regional authors will come to the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center this October.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsIn a virtual press conference, Gov. Jim Justice announced the appointments of judges Thomas E. Scarr of Huntington, Daniel W. Greear of Charleston and Donald A. Nickerson Jr. of Wheeling to the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.
A total of 25 individuals applied to fill the three seats. The Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission, made up of appointees, received the applications, performed interviews, and provided a list of candidates to the Governor.
Justice appointed these initial judges, but terms are staggered. West Virginia voters will choose future judges without the possibility of the entire court being replaced at one time.
Scarr’s term will end on Dec. 31, 2024, Greear’s term will end on Dec. 31, 2026 and Nickerson, Jr.’s term will end on Dec. 31, 2028. The three newly appointed judges must be confirmed by the West Virginia Senate.
Once the confirmation process is complete, the panel of judges will assume their duties by July 1, 2022.
The West Virginia Legislature created the Intermediate Court of Appeals during the 2021 Legislative Session. The court will hear cases including:
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals still has the final say when it comes to appeals in the state. According to the legislation that created the court, a written opinion, order, or decision of the Intermediate Court of Appeals “is binding precedent for the decisions of all circuit courts, family courts, magistrate courts, and agencies unless the opinion, order, or decision is overruled or modified by the Supreme Court of Appeals,” as stated in SB 275.
One judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals shall be chosen Chief Judge in a manner determined by the Supreme Court. The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall also act as the Clerk of the Intermediate Court of Appeals and may employ additional staff to do so. The Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall provide administrative support and may employ additional staff to do so.