Associated Press Published

Lawyers for Gov. Justice Ordered to Explain Residency Case Motions

Gov. Jim Justice giving his 2018 State of the State address.

Lawyers for the West Virginia governor have been ordered to explain motions filed in a lawsuit about the governor’s residency.

The News and Sentinel reports Mike Carey and George Terwilliger are set to appear in Kanawha County court Wednesday morning.

Democratic Del. Isaac Sponaugle has thrice sued to require Gov. Jim Justice to live in the state’s capital of Charleston per the state constitution. It says governors should “reside at the seat of the government.” Technicalities killed the previous lawsuits. Justice lives in Lewisburg.

One motion requests the judge explain why he nixed a motion to dismiss the case. The other motion asks the judge to certify a list of questions for the state Supreme Court of Appeals to answer before the case can proceed. Questions include defining the word “reside.”