Opinion ID: 1286880
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: During the 1996 general election for the Office of Circuit Clerk of Lincoln County, Mr. Hill and Mr. Stowers conducted write-in campaigns. Mr. Stowers was the incumbent because he had been appointed to fill the office several months earlier when the former circuit clerk, Shirley Mullins, retired and withdrew from the election as the Democrat nominee. [2] Mr. Stowers was declared the winner in the 1996 election with a margin of victory of approximately 600 votes. Mr. Hill did not contest the election. Mr. Stowers was re-elected in 2000 and 2004. [3] On December 29, 2005, Mr. Stowers pled guilty in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia to one count of buying votes [4] in connection with the May 2004 primary election in Lincoln County. He was sentenced to six months in prison. Thereafter, on June 5, 2006, Mr. Hill filed this lawsuit against Mr. Stowers alleging that Mr. Stowers won the 1996 election because of unlawful vote-buying. In particular, the complaint alleged that [o]n or about May 4, 2005, defendant Gregory B. Stowers and others, were indicted by a federal grand jury pursuant to a Second Superseding Indictment alleging that defendant Gregory B. Stowers knowingly conspired and undertook actions of knowing and willfully paying and offering to pay voters in Lincoln County for voting in various elections since the Spring of 1990 including but not limited to the general election of 1996 for the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lincoln County. Mr. Hill asserted that Mr. Stowers had violated his constitutional right to run for and hold public office; that Mr. Stowers had violated statutory law in West Virginia pertaining to the administration of elections; that Mr. Stowers had been unjustly enriched and had improperly benefitted from the compensation, benefits, and emoluments of office; and that Mr. Stowers had violated substantial public policy in West Virginia pertaining to free and fair elections. Mr. Hill sought compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees and costs. After the complaint was filed, Mr. Hill moved to disqualify the Honorable Jay M. Hoke as the presiding circuit court judge in this matter. Judge Hoke declined to voluntarily disqualify himself. The Chief Justice of this Court then refused the motion to disqualify on three separate occasions. Thereafter, by order entered on October 1, 2007, the circuit court dismissed Mr. Hill's complaint pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure. This appeal followed.