The chambers of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
CHARLESTON – The state Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission has submitted four names to fill a vacant state Supreme Court seat to Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office.
The four recommendations are Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas Ewing, Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Dan Greear, Raleigh Circuit Judge Todd Kirby and Shawn Morgan, who is managing partner of Steptoe & Johnson’s Bridgeport office.
The JVAC interviewed 14 applicants July 17. Fifteen people had applied for the position created by last month’s retirement of Justice Beth Walker. One applicant – Eastern Panhandle Circuit Judge R. Steven Redding – withdrew his name and was not interviewed.
The rest of the applicants, in alphabetical order, were Angela Alexander, Matthew Chapman, Cody Corliss, Laura Faircloth, E. Ryan Kennedy, Harry Kirkpatrick III, Brenden Long, Mark Sadd, Steven Thomas and Zachary Viglianco. Morrisey’s office provided the list of applicants July 7 to The West Virginia Record following a Freedom of Information Act request. The application deadline was July 4.
Morrisey’s office provided the list of JVAC recommendations July 18 to The Record as well.
When a judicial position becomes vacant, the JVAC is tasked with interviewing applicants. It then submits a short list of two to five recommendations to the governor’s office. The governor has 30 days after receiving the short list from the JVAC to appoint someone from the list or select someone else who meets the qualifications for the job.
The appointee will serve until the next general election and can run to fill the rest of the unexpired term. Walker’s term was scheduled to conclude at the end of 2028.
To be a West Virginia Supreme Court Justice, a person must be a state citizen for at least five years, be at least 30 years old and have practiced law in the state for at least 10 years.
Here’s a quick look at the other applicants:
Alexander is an assistant attorney general with the state Attorney General’s office and a former family court judge.
Chapman is a partner at Rawle & Henderson in Wheeling.
Corliss is an associate professor of law at West Virginia University.
Ewing is a circuit judge from Fayette County.
Faircloth is a circuit judge from the Eastern Panhandle.
Greear is a judge on the state Intermediate Court of Appeals and a former circuit court judge.
Kennedy is the state Secretary of Veteran’s Assistance and a former mayor of Clarksburg.
Kirby is a circuit court judge from Raleigh County.
Kirkpatrick is a retired circuit court judge from Raleigh County.
Long is an attorney from Putnam County. He previously sought a vacant Supreme Court seat in 2018.
Morgan is the managing member of Steptoe & Johnson’s Bridgeport office.
Redding is a circuit court judge from the Eastern Panhandle.
Sadd is the managing member of Lewis Gianola’s Charleston office.
Thomas is a member of Kay Casto and Chaney in Charleston.
Viglianco is the principal deputy solicitor general for the Nebraska AG’s office.
