I’m disappointed, but not surprised at the Court’s decision in my case. It makes their claim ’We are the most transparent of the three branches of government’ a shibboleth.
Also, it shows they are hypocrites when they extol the virtues of democracy. The justices took away a tool voters could use to determine a judicial officer’s fitness to remain in office.
Furthermore, the ruling leaves one to ponder what planet they’ve been living on the last two years. The controversies involving former judges William M. “Chip” Watkins III (Putnam Family Law), Michael Thornsbury (Mingo Circuit) and Jaymie Godwin Wilfong (Randolph Circuit) shows there needs to be more, not less, transparency in the judicial disciplinary system.
However, the fight to make the system more transparent, and accountable is far from over. Since I have little faith either the state legislature or Gov. Tomblin will take meaningful action to that end, expect an announcement from me soon about a project on which I’m working with some other transparency advocates to do an end-run around this ruling.
I apologize for not posting this with my previous comment, but below you will find the names of the 34 judicial officers on whom I requested information. My request came in the midst of the statements of charges filed against then-Putnam Family Law Judge William M. "Chip" Wakins III aka The Putnam County Screamer. I took the opportunity to request information about the ethics, or lack thereof, of other judges whose names were previously brought to my attention. Interestingly, most of the names listed here I've heard neither good nor bad, but requested them for comparison purposes against those whose integrity has been called into question. Nevertheless, our justices have decided, in their legalistic way, to play Col. Nathan R. Jessup, and declare "You can't handle the truth!"
Magistrates
1. Carol Irons
Family law judges
1. Ballard, Kenneth 2. Charnock-Smallridge, Jane 3. Cornett, Rebecca 4. Dempster, Brian 5. Fantasia, Annette 6. Fisher-Thomas, Constance J. 7. Greenburg, David P. 8. Jackson, Lori B. 9. Jackson, Sally G. 10. Kelly, Michael J. 11. Montgomery, Robert M. 12. Mullens, Sharon M. 13. Nibert, Delores Jean 14. Reep, Cornelia A. 15. Snyder, D. Mark 16. Swisher, Amy J. 17. Tallman, C. Darren 18. Watkins, William M. III 19. Whited, Larry S. 20. Wirtman, William T., Jr.
Circuit judges
1. Alsop, Jack 2. Cookman, Donald H. 3. Evans, Thomas C. III 4. Groh, Gina 5. Facemire, Richard A. 6. Frye, Andrew N., Jr. 7. Jordan, Philip B. 8. Moats, Allen D. 9. Nibert, David W. 10. Saunders, David H. 11. Silver, Gray III 12. Wilkes, Christopher C. 13. Yoder, John C.
Also, below you will find links to both my original complaint and the appellate briefs filed in my case. As if you didn't need any more evidence, they will show you whose interests our elected, and appointed officials are serving.
I’m disappointed, but not surprised at the Court’s decision in my case. It makes their claim ’We are the most transparent of the three branches of government’ a shibboleth.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it shows they are hypocrites when they extol the virtues of democracy. The justices took away a tool voters could use to determine a judicial officer’s fitness to remain in office.
Furthermore, the ruling leaves one to ponder what planet they’ve been living on the last two years. The controversies involving former judges William M. “Chip” Watkins III (Putnam Family Law), Michael Thornsbury (Mingo Circuit) and Jaymie Godwin Wilfong (Randolph Circuit) shows there needs to be more, not less, transparency in the judicial disciplinary system.
However, the fight to make the system more transparent, and accountable is far from over. Since I have little faith either the state legislature or Gov. Tomblin will take meaningful action to that end, expect an announcement from me soon about a project on which I’m working with some other transparency advocates to do an end-run around this ruling.
I apologize for not posting this with my previous comment, but below you will find the names of the 34 judicial officers on whom I requested information. My request came in the midst of the statements of charges filed against then-Putnam Family Law Judge William M. "Chip" Wakins III aka The Putnam County Screamer. I took the opportunity to request information about the ethics, or lack thereof, of other judges whose names were previously brought to my attention. Interestingly, most of the names listed here I've heard neither good nor bad, but requested them for comparison purposes against those whose integrity has been called into question. Nevertheless, our justices have decided, in their legalistic way, to play Col. Nathan R. Jessup, and declare "You can't handle the truth!"
ReplyDeleteMagistrates
1. Carol Irons
Family law judges
1. Ballard, Kenneth
2. Charnock-Smallridge, Jane
3. Cornett, Rebecca
4. Dempster, Brian
5. Fantasia, Annette
6. Fisher-Thomas, Constance J.
7. Greenburg, David P.
8. Jackson, Lori B.
9. Jackson, Sally G.
10. Kelly, Michael J.
11. Montgomery, Robert M.
12. Mullens, Sharon M.
13. Nibert, Delores Jean
14. Reep, Cornelia A.
15. Snyder, D. Mark
16. Swisher, Amy J.
17. Tallman, C. Darren
18. Watkins, William M. III
19. Whited, Larry S.
20. Wirtman, William T., Jr.
Circuit judges
1. Alsop, Jack
2. Cookman, Donald H.
3. Evans, Thomas C. III
4. Groh, Gina
5. Facemire, Richard A.
6. Frye, Andrew N., Jr.
7. Jordan, Philip B.
8. Moats, Allen D.
9. Nibert, David W.
10. Saunders, David H.
11. Silver, Gray III
12. Wilkes, Christopher C.
13. Yoder, John C.
Also, below you will find links to both my original complaint and the appellate briefs filed in my case. As if you didn't need any more evidence, they will show you whose interests our elected, and appointed officials are serving.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.scribd.com/doc/130071461/Smith-v-Tarr-Et-Al-FOIA-Lawsuit
https://www.scribd.com/doc/222161718/Smith-v-Tarr-et-al-Appellate-Amici-Curiae-Briefs-WVSCA-case-number-13-1230