Commission to Study W.Va. Courts Named
Governor Manchin recently announced the nine-member panel for his Independent Commission on Judicial Reform, which is charged with conducting a comprehensive analysis of West Virginia’s court system.
The Governor’s commission includes the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice, as its Honorary Chairwoman, as well as a mix of legal academics, defense and plaintiff lawyers.
For years now, West Virginia’s national perception for unfair courts has served as a deterrent for job providers. WV CALA hopes that the Independent Commission on Judicial Reform will take a critical look at many issues that may affect the future of our state, including but not limited to:
- West Virginia’s lack of an automatic right of appeal.
- The possible need for an intermediate court of appeal.
- Our state’s method of judicial selection.
- Balancing new recusal standards with the First Amendment rights of West Virginians.
WV CALA hopes this process will bring a hard look at reforming aspects of W.Va. courts that are imbalanced and out of sync with other states that compete with West Virginia for jobs. Keep checking our web site for the latest news and updates on this important study.
Sign our Petition! Tell the Governor and Legislators to save our jobs! Fix our legal system!
Chesapeake Energy recently announced plans to eliminate hundreds of well-paying West Virginia jobs due, in large part, to West Virginia’s unfair legal system. The company’s CEO, Aubrey McClendon, noted that “until West Virginia’s judicial system provides fair and unbiased access to its courts for everyone, a prudent company must be very cautious in committing further resources in the state.”
It is undeniable that a broken legal system limits the availability of well-paying jobs in our state. Something must be done now to encourage job providers to return to West Virginia. Otherwise, the exodus of West Virginia’s greatest natural resource – its young people – will continue as they leave the state for better jobs elsewhere. Please sign our petition, and tell our politicians that they need to represent the interests of the people of West Virginia, and not a select few personal injury lawyers who are getting rich at the state’s expense.
Sign the Petition Now!
Dear elected official,
As constituents and voters, we are deeply concerned about the current state of West Virginia’s legal system. For far too long, we have allowed the personal injury lawsuit industry to drive away good-paying jobs for many West Virginia citizens. The time has come to fix our legal system! Please act now to pass the meaningful civil justice reforms our state needs to help bring jobs back into our state.
Sincerely,
