×

Justice Beth Walker to retire from West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals

Justice Beth Walker and the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals hears arguments on the first day of its Spring 2025 term on Jan. 14. (Photo courtesy of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals)

CHARLESTON – Elizabeth “Beth” D. Walker, who has served as a justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals since 2017, will retire from the bench this coming June.

According to an April 19 letter to Chief Justice William Wooton, Walker said she will retire from the state Supreme Court effective Friday, June 27.

“While serving the people of West Virginia has been the greatest honor of my life, I now do my part to usher in a new generation of leadership while spending more time with my family, friends, and pursuing other interests,” Walker wrote. “I am grateful to the people of this state who elected me.”

Walker was first elected to the Supreme Court on May 10, 2016. She began her 12-year term on Jan. 1, 2017. She defeated former Supreme Court justice Brent Benjamin in a five-person race that included former justice and former attorney general Darrell McGraw and Wooton.

Prior to her election, Walker was associate general counsel for the West Virginia United Health System (now known as West Virginia University Medicine) beginning in 2011.

A native of Huron, Ohio, Walker was a 1987 graduate of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich. She graduated with a law degree from The Ohio State University in 1990. She moved to West Virginia following her law school graduation and worked for Bowles Rice McDavid Graff and Love (now Bowles Rice) in Charleston for more than 22 years.

During her tenure on the state’s highest court, Walker served in the rotating position of chief justice twice, first in 2019 and again in 2023. Walker used her time as chief justice to put in place reforms on how the court makes budgets, spends money, and she made improvements to transparency. Walker also led the creation of a Judicial Learning Center on the third floor of the East Wing of the State Capitol Building.

“During my tenure we have achieved significant success,” Walker wrote. “We have restored public trust in the judicial branch of government by increasing transparency, accountability, and impartiality while returning the focus of the judiciary to the rule of law. We have established a cooperative and functioning relationship with both the legislative and executive branches, which I hope endure for years to come.”

Walker also co-hosted “Lady Justice: Women of the Court,” a podcast along with Arkansas Justice Rhonda Wood and Michigan Chief Justice Bridget McCormack. The podcast focused on their experiences as justices.

The second year of Walker’s 12-year term was marked by a spending scandal that resulted in the resignations of two justices who later faced federal charges and the impeachment by the House of Delegates of the entire sitting Supreme Court. Walker was the only justice acquitted of an article of impeachment in the wake of a 2018 scandal precipitated by former Chief Justice Allen Loughry, his misuse of his office for personal gain and the mismanagement of the court itself.

Loughry and former justice Menis Ketchum were both charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia in two separate investigations dealing with misuse of state tax dollars. Ketchum resigned in July 2018 and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Loughry was convicted of 11 charges in U.S. District Court.

In August 2018, the House adopted 11 articles of impeachment spread out between Loughry, Walker, and former justices Margaret Workman and Robin Davis, who resigned rather than face an impeachment trial in the state Senate. Only Walker faced an impeachment trial.

Walker was acquitted and censured in the one catch-all impeachment charge that accused all four justices of maladministration. A lawsuit filed by Workman resulted in the remaining impeachment trials being halted by five circuit court judges sitting as the state Supreme Court. Despite being the only justice censured by the state Senate, Walker used her time as chief justice to put in place reforms.

“…We instituted and maintain financial, human resources, technology, and procurement policies that did not exist,” Walker wrote. “The creation of these policies was not only good for the administration of the justice system, it also was the right thing to do for the people of our state. Together, we adopted a strategic plan for the judiciary that will provide stability, transparency and efficiency for many years.”

Wooton and Walker’s colleagues in the Supreme Court provided statements Monday afternoon praising Walker’s service.

“Justice Walker has been an outstanding member of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia,” Wooton said. “Regardless of who is Chief – and that role is currently mine – Beth Walker has been a leader on this Court. This is in part due to her institutional knowledge, being our longest-serving justice, but the real foundation of her leadership is her judicial temperament and intellect.”

“Justice Walker has worked to instill a high degree of civility and openness across the judiciary by working to build public trust and make our courts more transparent and accessible,” said Justice Tim Armstead. “Her depth of knowledge and work to promote cooperation helped to make our Court function fairly and efficiently. We will certainly miss her and appreciate her friendship and dedication during her years of public service.”

“Justice Walker is an invaluable mentor and a true friend,” said Justice C. Haley Bunn. “In addition to her unwavering commitment to improving West Virginia’s court system through transparency and sound legal judgment, Justice Walker truly cares about all the people who serve in our branch and is a nationally recognized advocate for the implementation of legal health and wellness programs which help judges and lawyers manage the rigors of our high-stress, high-intensity jobs.”

“It would be impossible to overstate Justice Walker’s enormous contributions to the Supreme Court and to the entirety of the judiciary in West Virginia,” said Justice Charles S. Trump IV. “Justice Walker’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding the Supreme Court forward and restoring trust in it with the citizens of this State. Her fairness and integrity have set standards to which we must all aspire.”

Walker’s retirement in June will give Gov. Patrick Morrisey his first opportunity to appoint a temporary replacement. State Code requires the Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission to submit a list of no more than five names and no less than two names to the governor within 90 days of the occurrence of a vacancy or the formal announcement of an impending resignation or retirement. The governor then has 30 days to make an appointment once in receipt of the list of qualified candidates.

“I thank Justice Walker for her service to West Virginia and to the rule of law. She will be tough to replace,” Morrisey said in a statement Monday afternoon.

According to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, Walker’s retirement in June will not trigger a special election in May 2026 to fill the remainder of her term, meaning whoever Morrisey appoints would serve as a justice until Dec. 31, 2028. The election to permanently fill the seat would be May 2028.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today