Opinion ID: 1288202
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: West Virginia Has Chosen to Select Judges in Partisan Elections

Text: Historically, West Virginia has exercised its prerogative to regulate its judiciary and to elect judges and justices in partisan judicial elections through the enactment of constitutional and legislative standards, as well as by the Supreme Court of Appeals' adoption of ethical rules, that weigh and accommodate the competing interests at stake. [19] Incumbent in any state system which selects its judicial officers through the electoral process, particularly through partisan elections, are potential problems. In spite of such potential problems, the citizens of West Virginia, like the citizens of many other states, [20] have decided that all state judicial offices must be subject to the electoral process. See W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 2 (Supreme Court Justices must be elected by voters); W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 5 (circuit court judges must be elected by voters); W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 10 (magistrate court magistrates must be elected by voters); W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 16 (family court judges must be elected by voters). Insofar as all state judicial offices are filled through the electoral process, every judicial officer in this state is subject to having to decide the merits of a case that involves a party or attorney who contributed to or supported, or, conversely, opposed his or her campaign for office. This now includes those who contribute to or support so-called Independent Expenditure Groups who engage in political campaigns completely independent of candidates of office. West Virginia has a compelling and permissible interest in regulating its elections, the political activities of its judicial officeholders and candidates, and the manner in which its judicial offices are filled. State ex rel. Carenbauer v. Hechler, 208 W.Va. 584, 599, 542 S.E.2d 405, 420 (2000). In fashioning its rules regarding judicial campaigns, West Virginia's legislature and this Court have balanced the necessary contributions and mechanisms for support which are involved in all public elections with the need to protect the system through rules of conduct to guard against improprieties in the election process. See Carenbauer, supra. For example, Canon 5 of the West Virginia Code of Judicial Conduct establishes specific limitations on a judge's or judicial candidate's political activity. Included in these limitations is a specific limitation which prohibits a judge or judicial candidate from personally soliciting or accepting campaign contributions. Canon 5C(2), W. Va.Code of Judicial Conduct. A similar limitation is placed on judges and judicial candidates seeking publicly stated endorsements. Id. Judges and judicial candidates may instead use committees within their campaigns, independent from personal knowledge or involvement of the judge or judicial candidate, to solicit campaign contributions and endorsements. [21] Id. See In re Tennant, 205 W.Va. 92, 516 S.E.2d 496 (1999) (judicial candidate admonished for personally soliciting campaign contributions); Matter of Starcher, 202 W.Va. 55, 501 S.E.2d 772 (1998) (admonishment of judge seeking election to Supreme Court of Appeals for personally soliciting publicly stated support); In re: Hill, 190 W.Va. 165, 437 S.E.2d 738 (1993) (political endorsement of another judicial candidate by judge running for reelection not prohibited under Canon 7A(1)(b) of former-Judicial Code of Ethics (conduct now proscribed by Canon 5A(1)(b) of the current-Code of Judicial Conduct, effective January 1, 1993)). West Virginia has adopted other limitations on judicial elections. For example, in Carenbauer, this Court ruled that a sitting justice is ineligible to run for a different seat on the Supreme Court prior to the expiration of his or her term. Carenbauer, 208 W.Va. at 598-600, 542 S.E.2d at 419-21. In Carenbauer, former-Justice Warren McGraw, who had been elected in 1998 to complete the remaining half of his judicial office's term, sought to run again in 2000 for another seat on the Court with a full twelve-year term. In ruling former-Justice McGraw ineligible to run for a separate seat on the same court on which he was already sitting, this Court concluded that the State had a compelling and permissible interest in regulating political activities in judicial offices. Id. See also Matter of Codispoti, 190 W.Va. 369, 438 S.E.2d 549 (1993) (public censure of judicial officer for violating Judicial Code of Ethics related to misleading campaign advertisements). In State ex rel. Rist v. Underwood, 206 W.Va. 258, 524 S.E.2d 179 (1999), this Court considered a challenge to the Governor's appointment of the then-current Speaker of the House of Delegates as a Justice on this Court pursuant to the Governor's appointment powers for vacancies on this Court. See W. Va. Const. art. VIII, § 7. This Court ruled that, under the Emoluments Clause of the West Virginia Constitution, the appointment was prohibited where, during the Speaker's current term of office, the Legislature had enacted a pay increase with respect to such judicial office. W. Va. Const. art. VI § 15. West Virginia has enacted other rules applicable to judicial races. [22] For example, committees for candidates for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals must file periodic verified financial statements detailing campaign contributions and expenditures with the Secretary of State. W. Va.Code § 3-8-5 (2007). West Virginia limits the contribution which an individual may give to a campaign to $1000 per election cycle. W. Va.Code § 3-8-12(f) (2005). Campaign contributors who contribute $250 or more must be identified by more detailed information, including address and business affiliation. W. Va.Code § 3-8-5a(a)(3) (2007). West Virginia, thus, achieves a measure of transparency in campaign funding in judicial races. Anonymous contributions are prohibited. W. Va.Code § 3-8-5a(I) (2007). Furthermore, corporations are prohibited from contributing to a candidate's campaign. W. Va.Code § 3-8-8(a) (2006). So-called Independent Expenditure Groups (or Section 527 Groups) are also subject to regulation, including registration requirements. W. Va.Code § 3-8-12(g) (2005). [23]