CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The federal sentencing for state Supreme Court Justice Menis Ketchum has been delayed.
U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver filed an order Tuesday delaying sentencing for Ketchum, who pleaded guilty to one federal count of wire fraud.
Sentencing for Ketchum had been set for Dec. 6, but a probation officer asked for more time to prepare.
So a draft pre-sentence report is now due Jan. 9 with sentencing set to go at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 30, 2019.
Continues Ketchum Sentencing (Text)
The rescheduling came about after a letter was submitted on behalf of Supervisory U.S. Probation Officer Matthew Lambert, who is also handling the presentence report for Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry.
“This officer has not received the discovery in Mr. Loughry’s case as of this date,” according to the letter.
“However, due to the possibility of an overlap in these cases, I am requesting continuance to avoid any unexpected changes in Mr. Ketchum’s presentence report that is currently in the process of being prepared.”
Ketchum Continuance Request (Text)
Ketchum pleaded guilty to a federal wire charge count on August 23, the same day his former court colleague, Loughry, pleaded not guilty to two-dozen federal counts.
Ketchum admitted to using a state-owned vehicle and a state-issued gas card for personal use for golf trips to Virginia.
Ketchum resigned his seat on the Supreme Court on July 11, right as impeachment was commencing in the Legislature.
Ketchum’s law license was annulled in an order of the West Virginia Supreme Court on Oct. 4.