Kanawha Family Court Judge Jim Douglas
CHARLESTON – Five attorneys have applied to be the new Kanawha County family court judge.
The five who applied to the state Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission for the opening on the 11th Family Circuit Court are Ashton L. Bias, T. Elizabeth Blair, David Wayne Hancock Jr., Jennifer A. Hill and Allison C. Ojeda.
The vacancy was created by the election of current Judge Jim Douglas to the state Intermediate Court of Appeals. Douglas submitted his formal resignation September 1 to take effect upon his assuming the ICA position January 1.
Bias is the bar admissions administrator for the state Supreme Court. Blair is an attorney with a background in general practice, criminal appointments and asbestos defense. Hancock is an assistant Jackson County prosecuting attorney. Hill is deputy counsel for the state Supreme Court. Ojeda is a Charleston attorney.
In his September resignation letter to Gov. Patrick Morrisey, Douglas called the Kanawha family court job a “long cherished office.”
“Please be advised that I undertake this necessary measure with assured sadness, with wistful ruminations of satisfaction and with not a little ephemeral reflection of the contextual events, some even historic, over the last ten (10) years of my service,” Douglas wrote. “This triumvirate of sentiments, however, is and will always be liberally seasoned with copious quantities of sincere gratitude to the people of Kanawha County, who twice elected me to the latter named judicial position.”
Douglas says he will leave the family court post fulfilled.
“Moreover, I have been and I am unreservedly convinced that no area of the law is more important than families and children,” he wrote. “Yet, in my experience, family law is often relegated to secondary if not minor significance in relation to other facets of jurisprudence.”
Because of that, Douglas challenges Morrisey.
“For these reasons, the abiding authoritative imperative in selecting my successor is to appoint forthwith the most qualified and experienced candidate, irrespective of political affiliation, expediency of the moment, touted influence, storied surnames or social fashion,” Douglas tells the governor. “Thus, please receive this, my final injunction, as well as, this, my valedictory.”
After the JVAC reviews the applications and conducts interviews, it will submit recommendations to Morrisey, who will make the appointment. He can follow JVAC suggestions or appoint someone of his own choosing who meets the qualifications for the job. The JVAC interviews tentatively are scheduled for October 28.
Douglas defeated incumbent Dan Greear in the non-partisan ICA election during the May primary. Greear was appointed to the newly created ICA in 2021 by former Gov. Jim Justice.
Douglas received 59 percent of the vote in the race. He said he chose to run for the ICA to “protect children and help families.”
When the ICA was created in 2022, it was given jurisdiction over nearly all family court appeals. During his campaign, Douglas noted none of the sitting ICA judges had served as family court judges nor had practiced family law or handled divorce and child custody matters before taking the bench.
Douglas said he thinks his family court experience was a key part of his victory.
“I think the difference was my experience in family court, plus I had a statewide divorce practice for nearly 40 years,” Douglas said. “I appeared in court in 44 of West Virginia’s 55 counties.”
Douglas also said he believes West Virginians are tired of having judges appointed by sitting governors.
“I think people are saying we’re tired of having judges appointed for us,” he said. “In the end, people’s voices have to be heard. I think people are saying we want to elect our judges. …
“I feel I’ve prepared all my life for this.”
