Delegate J.B. Akers is in as Judiciary Committee chairman in the House of Delegates, and Delegate Brandon Steele is out.
That comes after public disclosure of an incident before Christmas when Steele was under the effects of alcohol and armed with a rifle to confront a driver he perceived as a threat.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw announced today:
“After recent conversation with Delegate Brandon Steele and in recognition of his need to spend more time focused on matters outside the Capitol building, I’m pleased to name Delegate JB Akers as our Standing Judiciary Committee Chairman for the 87th Legislature while Delegate Jordan Maynor will ably step into the Vice Chairman position.
“Delegate Akers has acclimated quickly to the legislative process and has shown a thoughtful approach to consensus-building that will serve us well.”

Akers, a Charleston attorney, originally was appointed to the House of Delegates to replace Moore Capito — then the Judiciary chairman who resigned to run for governor. Akers , a Republican first assumed office on Jan. 9, 2024.
Steele, R-Raleigh, had been named Judiciary chairman in an announcement this past Jan. 7.
That same week, a police report and related calls to 911 came to the attention of members of the House of Delegates and West Virginia reporters.
Steele was not arrested in the incident, but deputies with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department responded to his home.
The police report filed by the deputies specifies that Brianne Steele, the delegate’s wife and the elected clerk of the Raleigh County courts system, stated that he “did not at any time threaten her or her children.”
The written narrative by the deputies and Steele’s own account of the situation in an interview with MetroNews described the delegate responding to a vehicle in his neighborhood that he perceived to be a threat, coming and going in a way that Steele concluded to be suspicious.
In his description, Steele cited the context of threats that he and his family have faced over a period of years, mostly associated with his legal work in the community. He acknowledged drinking at home that night, around the holidays, and said he became agitated over a vehicle outside the house.
His family twice spoke with 911 operators.
One of the responding deputies wrote that after arrival, Steele invited the officers into the home, “where I observed what appeared to be two AR-15 style rifles on a couch in the living room.”
According to the police report, Steele described the context of threats he has perceived, including some related to his work as an attorney.
On this night, Steele told the officers that he had seen a vehicle driving slowly past his home and that he went out with a rifle to approach the vehicle. The driver provided an explanation of looking at Christmas lights, according to the report.
Steele went back inside until a black SUV drove past. “Brandon then stated that he began to approach the black SUV with two rifles and the black SUV then drove away,” according to the police report.