CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The newest member of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals was sworn in Friday.
Gov. Jim Justice announced his appointment of then-Raleigh County Circuit Judge John Hutchison on Dec. 12.
Hutchison is the third appointee to a court which has been embroiled in scandals and impeachment proceedings; he replaced Allen Loughry, who was convicted of 11 counts of fraud in federal court in October and resigned the following month.
Hutchison only briefly mentioned the controversies after taking office, pledging to uphold principles he considered essential to the judiciary’s integrity. He also called for cooperation in the state government.
“We do recognize that each branch of government is charged with different responsibilities and that through the exercise of those responsibilities there will often be differences of opinion,” he said. “The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is now newly-constituted, and I believe does not carry with it the dark shadows of the past 24 months.”
Hutchison indirectly referenced the revelations of extravagant spending that became emblematic of dysfunction within the judicial branch.
“In what my wife has referred to as the Beverly Hillbilly ghost of the capital, I am bringing my 18-year-old desk chair that I purchased from the Raleigh County Commission. It is is fairly ugly but it fits my rear-end and it is very comfortable,” he commented.
Hutchison was appointed circuit judge in Raleigh County by Gov. Gaston Caperton in 1995. He was elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, 2008, and 2016.
His appointment by Gov. Justice to replace Loughry received praise from the other members of the court. Chief Justice Workman called it a wise choice, while Justice Beth Walker predicted Hutchison would be a great help to the Court. Justice Tim Armstead said he had a good working relationship with Hutchison over the years, and Justice Evan Jenkins said Hutchison brings years of solid judicial experience to the bench.