Courts

A federal judge in West Virginia is ignoring an edict that certain civil cases in his district be suspended during the U.S. government’s shutdown.

Judge Irene Berger of West Virginia’s southern district had granted an order postponing civil cases involving government agencies. But Judge Joseph Goodwin in Charleston ruled Wednesday he’s going to hear cases assigned to him.

West Virginia's Supreme Court says children cannot inherit from a biological parent's estate if that parent has no will and had their rights terminated.

  A federal bankruptcy judge is calling for parties to meet to discuss how to conclude the case of Freedom Industries, whose January 2014 chemical spill caused a tap-water ban for 300,000 people for days.

The Charleston Gazette reports Judge Ronald Pearson scheduled a March 3 status conference in the case.

  Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has appointed an Elkins attorney to succeed a circuit court judge who resigned after admitting having an affair with a corrections official.

Tomblin announced David H. Wilmoth's appointment to the Randolph County judgeship Friday. Wilmoth succeeds Jaymie Wilfong, who resigned in November.

Anyone filing a civil or domestic court cases in Marion County will have to do so electronically.

The Circuit Clerk's Office implemented full e-filing of these cases on Dec. 1. The initiative is part of the West Virginia Supreme Court's pilot electronic filing project.

Kanawha County's prosecutor has agreed to a new deal to resolve misdemeanor domestic charges against him.
 
The agreement requires Mark Plants to participate in a batterer intervention program in Putnam County.