State and national leaders from West Virginia have joined together in congratulating Gov. Jim Justice for his historic announcement naming the first-ever appointees to the newly created West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.
Gov. Justice appointed Thomas E. Scarr of Huntington for a term of two-and-a-half years, Daniel W. Greear of Charleston for a term of four-and-a-half years, and Donald A. Nickerson Jr. of Wheeling for a term of six-and-a-half years.
After several prior attempts over many years failed to establish such a court in West Virginia, the WV Intermediate Court of Appeals was successfully created during the 2021 Regular Legislative Session by the passage of SB 275, and was signed into law by Gov. Justice in April.
“This is an incredible step for our state that reflects the values of West Virginians and continues to make West Virginia more and more business friendly,” Gov. Justice said. “Throughout the years, I’ve always tried to champion judicial reform in West Virginia.
“I thank our legislators and everyone who has worked to make this historic day a reality and I congratulate our appointees,” Gov. Justice continued.
“Governor, I want to thank you for this great honor,” Scarr said. “I’m looking forward to working with the other judges in the Supreme Court to establish the Intermediate Court of Appeals.”
“I want to thank you, Governor, for the faith that you’ve placed in me and thank you for this opportunity,” Greear said. “I look forward to working with my fellow judges, the Supreme Court, and the Legislature to make sure that we make this court a success and that it serves all West Virginians”
“Governor, thank you very much for this appointment to such an important, prestigious position in our judicial system. I’m flattered, I’m humbled, and I gratefully accept,” Nickerson said. “I pledge to work very hard with the other judges to make this court a success, and I pledge to always be professional and ethical, as I’ve been my whole career.”
“The Supreme Court welcomes Governor Justices’ appointments to the new Intermediate Court of Appeals and congratulates each of these well-qualified individuals on being selected. We are committed to working together to improve our justice system,” said Chief Justice Evan Jenkins.
Justice John Hutchison, who will become Chief Justice on January 1, said, “I look forward to working closely with each of the new judges as we set up the operations of West Virginia’s first Intermediate Court of Appeals.”
Justice Beth Walker said, “The Intermediate Court of Appeals is a historic addition to the West Virginia Judiciary, and I congratulate the new judges appointed today. We are all committed to making sure this new court, like every other court in our state, operates efficiently and is transparent and accessible to all.”
Justice Tim Armstead said, “Today’s appointments represent an important step in establishing an effective and productive Intermediate Court of Appeals. These new judges will bring many years of unique experience and expertise to the court. I look forward to joining with them as we continue our work together to establish the new appellate court. I welcome each of them to our state’s court system.”
“The appointees are all experienced attorneys and will be excellent additions to the West Virginia Judiciary,” said Justice William R. Wooton.
