List of justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

Last updated November 20, 2023

Below is a complete list of justices who have served on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia since 1863.

Court created by the 1863 West Virginia State Constitution

#	Name	Party	Tenure	Residence county	Elected	Predecessor	Successor	Composition
1	Ralph Lazier Berkshire	Republican	Jun. 20, 1863 – Dec. 31, 1866	Monongalia	1863	seat created	Maxwell
1	Ralph Lazier Berkshire	Republican	Sept. 10, 1868* – Dec. 31, 1872	Monongalia	1868^{^}	Harrison	seat abolished^[1]
2	William A. Harrison	Republican	Jun. 20, 1863 – Sept. 1, 1868°	Harrison	1863	seat created	Berkshire
3	James H. Brown	Republican	Jun. 20, 1863 – Dec. 31, 1870	Kanawha	1863	seat created	Moore	3	0
4	Edwin Maxwell	Republican	Jan. 1, 1867 – Dec. 31, 1872	Harrison	1866	Berkshire	seat abolished^[1]	3	0
5	Charles P.T. Moore	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1871 – Dec. 31, 1872	Mason	1870	Brown	seat abolished^[1]	2	1

Court created by the 1872 West Virginia State Constitution

#	Name	Party	Tenure	Residence county	Elected	Predecessor	Successor	Composition
5	Charles P.T. Moore	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1873 – Jun. 1, 1881°	Mason	1872	seat created^[1]	Patton
6	John S. Hoffman	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1873 – Jun. 1, 1876°	Harrison	1872	seat created^[1]	Edmiston
7	James Paull	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1873 – May 11, 1875^†	Ohio	1872	seat created^[1]	Green
8	Alpheus F. Haymond	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1873 – Dec. 31, 1882°	Marion	1872 1876	seat created^[1]	S. Woods	4	0
9	Thomas C. Green	Democratic	Dec. 24, 1875* – Dec. 4, 1889^†	Jefferson	1876^{^} 1880	Paull	Lucas
10	Matthew Edmiston	Democratic	Jun. 13, 1876* – Dec. 31, 1876	Lewis	-----	Hoffmann	Johnson
11	Okey Johnson	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1877 – Dec. 31, 1888	Wood	1876	Edmiston	Brannon
12	James French Patton	Democratic	Jun. 1, 1881* – Mar. 30, 1882^†	Monroe	-----	Moore	Snyder
13	Adam C. Snyder	Democratic	Jun. 1, 1882* – Nov. 8, 1890°	Greenbrier	1882^{^} 1884	Patton	Holt
14	Samuel Woods	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1883* – Dec. 31, 1888	Barbour	1882^{^}	A. Haymond	English
15	Henry Brannon	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1889 – Dec. 31, 1900	Lewis	1888	Johnson
15	Henry Brannon	Republican	Jan. 1, 1901 – Dec. 31, 1912	Lewis	1900		Lynch
16	John W. English	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1889 – Dec. 31, 1900	Mason	1888	S. Woods	Poffenbarger	4	0
17	Daniel B. Lucas	Democratic	Dec. 11, 1889* – Dec. 31, 1892	Jefferson	1890^{^}	Green	Dent
18	Homer A. Holt	Democratic	Nov. 8, 1890* – Dec. 31, 1896	Greenbrier	1890^{^}	Snyder	McWhorter
19	Marmaduke H. Dent	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1893 – Dec. 31, 1904	Taylor	1892	Lucas	Cox
20	Henry C. McWhorter	Republican	Jan. 1, 1897 – Dec. 31, 1908	Kanawha	1896	Holt	Williams	3	1
21	George Poffenbarger	Republican	Jan. 1, 1901 – Dec. 31, 1922°	Mason	1900 1912	English	Litz	3	1
22	Warren Miller	Republican	Jan. 17, 1903* – Dec. 31, 1904	Jackson	-----	seat created^[2]	Sanders	4	1
23	Frank Cox	Republican	Jan. 1, 1905 – Jan. 28, 1907°	Monongalia	1904	Dent	Wm. Miller	5	0
24	Joseph M. Sanders	Republican	Jan. 1, 1905 – Oct. 1, 1907°	Mercer	1904	W. Miller	Robinson
25	William N. Miller	Republican	Jan. 28, 1907* – Aug. 7, 1928^†	Wood	1908^{^} 1916	Cox	Maxwell
26	Ira E. Robinson	Republican	Oct. 15, 1907* – Oct. 26, 1915°	Taylor	1908^{^}	Sanders	Mason
27	L. Judson Williams	Republican	Jan. 1, 1909 – Dec. 31, 1920	Greenbrier	1908	McWhorter	Lively
28	Charles W. Lynch	Republican	Jan. 1, 1913 – Dec. 31, 1921°	Harrison	1912	Brannon	Meredith
29	John W. Mason	Republican	Nov. 1, 1915* – Dec. 31, 1916	Marion	-----	Robinson	Ritz
30	Harold A. Ritz	Republican	Jan. 1, 1917 – Nov. 30, 1922°	Mercer	1916	Mason	Meredith
31	Frank Lively	Republican	Jan. 1, 1921 – Dec. 31, 1932	Kanawha	1920	Williams	Kenna
32	James A. Meredith	Republican	Jan. 2, 1922* – Dec. 31, 1923	Marion	-----	Lynch	McGinnis
32	James A. Meredith	Republican	Jan. 1, 1923* – Nov. 4, 1924	Marion	-----	Ritz	Hatcher	4	1
33	William H. McGinnis	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1923 – Dec. 31, 1924	Raleigh	1922^{^}	Meredith	H. Woods
34	M.O. Litz	Republican	Jan. 1, 1923* – Dec. 31, 1936	McDowell	1924	Poffenbarger	Fox
35	John H. Hatcher	Republican	Nov. 4, 1924 – Dec. 31, 1940	Raleigh	1924^{^} 1928	Meredith	Rose	5	0
36	Homer B. Woods	Republican	Jan. 1, 1925 – Dec. 31, 1936	Ritchie	1924	McGinnis	Riley
37	Haymond Maxwell	Republican	Aug. 21, 1928* – Dec. 31, 1940	Harrison	1928	Wm. Miller	Lovins
38	J. N. Kenna	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1933 – Jan. 20, 1950^†	Kanawha	1932 1944	Lively	Given	4	1
39	Fred L. Fox	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1937 – Aug. 8, 1952^†	Braxton	1936 1948	Litz	Browning	3	2
40	James B. Riley	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1937 – Jun. 29, 1958^†	Ohio	1936 1948	H. Woods	Donley	3	2
41	Herschel H. Rose	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1941 – Jun. 17, 1945^†	Marion	1940	Hatcher	F. Haymond	5	0
42	William T. Lovins	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1941 – Jan. 11, 1957°	Cabell	1940 1952	Maxwell	Ducker
43	Frank Cruise Haymond	Democratic	Jul. 1, 1945* – Jun. 10, 1972^†	Marion	1946^{^} 1952 1964	Rose	Haden
44	Leslie E. Given	Democratic	Jan. 27, 1950* – May 11, 1962^†	Kanawha	1950^{^} 1956	Kenna	Caplan
45	Chauncey Browning Sr.	Democratic	Aug. 18, 1952* – Jun. 24, 1971^†	Logan	1952^{^} 1960	Fox	Carrigan
46	Henry L. Ducker	Democratic	Jan. 11, 1957* – Nov. 4, 1958	Cabell	-----	Lovins	Berry
47	Robert T. Donley	Republican	Jul. 3, 1958* – Nov. 4, 1958	Monongalia	-----	Riley	Calhoun	4	1
48	Thornton G. Berry Jr.	Democratic	Nov. 4, 1958 – Dec. 31, 1976	McDowell	1958^{^} 1964	Ducker	Thom. Miller	5	0
49	Harlan M. Calhoun	Democratic	Nov. 4, 1958 – May 15, 1972°	Hardy	1958^{^} 1960	Donley	Kessel
50	Fred H. Caplan	Democratic	May 28, 1962* – Dec. 31, 1980	Harrison	1964^{^} 1968	Given	McHugh
51	John E. Carrigan	Republican	Jul. 13, 1971* – Dec. 31, 1972	Marshall	-----	Browning	Sprouse	4	1
52	Charles H. Haden II	Republican	Jun. 21, 1972* – Dec. 19, 1975°	Monongalia	1972^{^}	F. Haymond	Wilson	3	2
53	Oliver D. Kessel	Republican	Jun. 23, 1972* – Dec. 31, 1972	Jackson	-----	Calhoun	Neely	3	2
54	James Marshall Sprouse	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1973 – Jun. 27, 1975°	Monroe	1972	Carrigan	Flowers	4	1
55	Richard Forlani Neely	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1973 – Apr. 15, 1995°	Marion	1972 1984	Kessel	Recht	4	1
56	Edwin F. Flowers	Republican	Sept. 8, 1975* – Dec. 31, 1976	Hancock	-----	Sprouse	Harshbarger	3	2
57	Donald R. Wilson	Republican	Jan. 26, 1976* – Dec. 31, 1976	Jackson	-----	Haden	D. McGraw	3	2
58	Sam R. Harshbarger	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1977 – Dec. 31, 1984	Cabell	1976^{^}	Flowers	Brotherton	5	0
59	Thomas B. Miller	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1977 – Aug. 30, 1994°	Ohio	1976 1988	Berry	Cleckley
60	Darrell McGraw	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1977 – Dec. 31, 1988	Wyoming	1976	Wilson	Workman
61	Thomas E. McHugh	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1981 – Dec. 31, 1997°	Kanawha	1980 1992	Caplan	McCuskey
61	Thomas E. McHugh	Democratic	Apr. 8, 2009* – Dec. 31, 2012^[3]	Kanawha	2010^{^}	Albright	Loughry
62	W.T. Brotherton Jr.	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1985 – Aug. 31, 1995°	Kanawha	1984	Harshbarger	Albright	5	0
63	Margaret Workman	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1989 – Aug. 31, 1999°	Kanawha	1988	D. McGraw	Scott	5	0
63	Margaret Workman	Democratic	Jan. 1, 2009 – Dec. 31, 2020	Kanawha	2008	Starcher	Wooton
64	Franklin Cleckley	Democratic	Sept. 6, 1994* – Nov. 5, 1996	Monongalia	-----	Thom. Miller	Davis	5	0
65	Arthur M. Recht	Democratic	May 26, 1995* – Oct. 15, 1996°^[4]	Ohio	-----	Neely	Maynard
66	Joseph P. Albright	Democratic	Sept. 26, 1995* – Dec. 31, 1996	Wood	-----	Brotherton	Starcher
66	Joseph P. Albright	Democratic	Jan. 1, 2001 – March 20, 2009^†	Wood	2000	Scott	McHugh
67	Robin Davis	Democratic	Dec. 16, 1996 – Aug. 13, 2018°	Kanawha	1996^{^} 2000 2012	Cleckley	Armstead
68	Larry Starcher	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1997 – Dec. 31, 2008	Monongalia	1996	Albright	Ketchum
69	Spike Maynard	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1997 – Dec. 31, 2008	Mingo	1996	Recht	Workman
70	John F. McCuskey	Republican	Jan. 12, 1998* – Dec. 31, 1998	Kanawha	-----	McHugh	W. McGraw	4	1
71	Warren R. McGraw	Democratic	Jan. 1, 1999 – Dec. 31, 2004	Wyoming	1998^{^}	McCuskey	Benjamin	5	0
72	George M. Scott	Republican	Nov. 4, 1999* – Dec. 31, 2000	Roane	-----	Workman	Albright	4	1
73	Brent D. Benjamin	Republican	Jan. 1, 2005 – Dec. 31, 2016	Kanawha	2004	W. McGraw	Walker	4	1
74	Menis Ketchum	Democratic	Jan. 1, 2009 – July 27, 2018°	Wayne	2008	Maynard	Jenkins	4	1
75	Allen Loughry	Republican	Jan. 1, 2013 – Nov. 12, 2018 °	Kanawha	2012	McHugh	Hutchison	3	2
76	Beth Walker	Republican	Jan. 1, 2017–present	Monongalia	2016	Benjamin	Incumbent	3	2
77	Tim Armstead	Republican	Sept. 25, 2018* –present	Kanawha	2018	Ketchum	Incumbent	1	3
78	Evan Jenkins	Republican	Oct. 1, 2018* – Feb. 4, 2022	Cabell	2018	Davis	Bunn	1	4
79	John Hutchison	Democratic	Dec. 12, 2018–present*	Raleigh	2020	Loughry	Incumbent	2	3
80	William Wooton	Democratic	Jan. 1, 2021–present	Raleigh	2020	Workman	Incumbent	2	3
81	C. Haley Bunn	Republican	Apr. 27, 2022–present*	Wyoming	-----	Jenkins	Incumbent	2	3

* appointed ----- † died in office ----- ° resigned/retired ----- ^ elected to an unexpired term

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 In 1872, the new State Constitution expanded the Court to four seats requiring new elections for all seats. It also permitted former C.S.A. supporters to serve. "West Virginia Constitution". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
↑ Amendment 1 of the WV Constitution, adopted in 1904, expanded the Court to five seats effective in 1905 and, unlike in 1872, did not require new elections for all seats. For the interim, the amendment permitted the Governor to appoint the vacancy. Archived 2015-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
↑ Appointed by Governor Joe Manchin upon the death of Justice Joseph P. Albright; elected to the unexpired term on November 2, 2010, which ended on December 31, 2012.
↑ Though Justice Recht had resigned, the Court issued an Administrative Order on the same date temporarily appointing him until Dec. 18, 1996.

Succession by seat

Year		Seat 1	Seat 2	Seat 3
1863		Seat 1	Seat 2	Seat 3
	Jun. 20	Berkshire	Harrison	Brown
1864
1865
1866
1867		Maxwell
1868
	Sept. 10		Berkshire
1869
1870
1871				Moore
1872				Moore

Year		Seat 1	Seat 2	Seat 3	Seat 4	Seat 5
1873		Moore	Paull	Hoffmann	A.F. Haymond
1874
1875
	Dec. 24		Green
1876
	Jun. 13			Edmiston
1877				Johnson
1878
1879
1880
1881
	Jun. 1	Patton
1882		Patton
	Jun. 1	Snyder
1883					S. Woods
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889				Brannon	English
	Dec. 11		Lucas
1890
	Nov. 8	Holt
1891
1892
1893			Dent
1894
1895
1896
1897		McWhorter
1898
1899
1900
1901				Brannon	Poffenbarger
1902
1903
	Jan. 17					W. Miller
1904						W. Miller
1905			Cox			Sanders
1906
1907
	Jan. 28		Wm. Miller
	Oct. 15					Robinson
1908
1909		Williams
1910
1911
1912
1913				Lynch
1914
1915
	Nov. 11					Mason
1916						Mason
1917						Ritz
1918
1919
1920
1921		Lively
1922
	Jan. 2			Meredith
1923				McGinnis	Litz	Meredith
1924						Meredith
	Nov. 4					Hatcher
1925				H.B. Woods
1926
1927
1928
	Jun. 21		Maxwell
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933		Kenna
1934
1935
1936
1937				Riley	Fox
1938
1939
1940
1941			Lovins			Rose
1942
1943
1944
1945
	Jul. 1					F.C. Haymond
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
	Jan. 27	Given
1951
1952
	Aug. 18				Browning
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
	Jan. 11		Ducker
1958
	Jul. 3			Donley
	Nov. 4		Berry	Calhoun
1959
1960
1961
1962
	May 28	Caplan
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
	Jul. 13				Carrigan
1972
	Jun. 21					Haden
	Jun. 23			Kessel
1973				Neely	Sprouse
1974
1975
	Sept. 8				Flowers
1976
	Jan. 26					Wilson
1977			T. Miller		Harshbarger	D. McGraw
1978
1979
1980
1981		McHugh
1982
1983
1984
1985					Brotherton
1986
1987
1988
1989						Workman
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
	Sept. 6		Cleckley
1995
	May 26			Recht
	Sept. 26				Albright
1996
	Nov. 5		Davis
1997				Maynard	Starcher
1998
	Jan. 12	McCuskey
1999		W. McGraw
	Nov. 4					Scott
2000						Scott
2001						Albright
2002
2003
2004
2005		Benjamin
2006
2007
2008
2009				Ketchum	Workman
	Apr. 8					McHugh
2010
2011
2012
2013						Loughry
2014
2015
2016
2017		Walker
2018
	Sept. 25		Armstead
	Oct. 1			Jenkins
	Dec. 12					Hutchison
2019
2020
2021					Wooton
2022
	Apr. 27			Bunn

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[WVConstitution-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 In 1872, the new State Constitution expanded the Court to four seats requiring new elections for all seats. It also permitted former C.S.A. supporters to serve. "West Virginia Constitution". Archived from the original on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2009-08-16.

[2] Amendment 1 of the WV Constitution, adopted in 1904, expanded the Court to five seats effective in 1905 and, unlike in 1872, did not require new elections for all seats. For the interim, the amendment permitted the Governor to appoint the vacancy. Archived 2015-10-05 at the Wayback Machine

[3] Appointed by Governor Joe Manchin upon the death of Justice Joseph P. Albright; elected to the unexpired term on November 2, 2010, which ended on December 31, 2012.

[4] Though Justice Recht had resigned, the Court issued an Administrative Order on the same date temporarily appointing him until Dec. 18, 1996.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

List of justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

Contents

Court created by the 1863 West Virginia State Constitution

Court created by the 1872 West Virginia State Constitution

Succession by seat

See also

Related Research Articles