8chan/8kun QResearch Posts (22)
#9632122 at 2020-06-16 13:32:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #12328: I Like My Dijon Lead Free Edition
This brings back a 711 dig. Menis Ketchum "resigned" on July 11. There is more to this story.
>>9632017
Menis Ketchum: The 76-year-old Ketchum, who pleaded guilty last year to a felony fraud count, also was fined $20,000 and ordered to pay $749 in restitution.
"I'm just plain guilty," Ketchum told U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. just prior to sentencing. "And I'm sorry, but sorry's no excuse."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/6/sentencing-set-for-ex-wva-supreme-court-justice/
One day before West Virginia lawmakers start considering whether some state Supreme Court justices deserve to be impeached, Justice Menis Ketchum retired from his seat on the court
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/on-eve-of-impeachment-meetings-Ketchum-quits-wv-supreme-court/article_0bb52c20-b886-53c9-b221-b3f3991554ce.html
#6088877 at 2019-04-07 22:40:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7787: CBP Commissioner Becomes Acting Secretary For DHS Edition
He Was Chief Justice Of A State Supreme Court. He Just Reported To Jail
Former West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Allen Loughry surrendered at a federal prison facility in South Carolina Friday, where he will serve a two-year sentence for crimes relating to a sweeping public corruption scandal. A federal judge sentenced the disgraced ex-justice in February, following his conviction for wire fraud, mail fraud and lying to federal investigators. In addition to criminal penalties, Loughry was disbarred from legal practice, agreed never to seek public office again and paid fines totaling $12,000.
Local press accounts of lavish renovations at the state Supreme Court set off an audit of the justice's spending practices. That inquiry discovered that Loughry and another justice, Menis Ketchum, used state resources for personal purposes. A federal investigation followed, leading to a battery of criminal charges against Loughry and Ketchum. Among other offenses, investigators discovered that Loughry collected compensation from a law school for travel expenses he had not incurred and removed a state-owned antique desk from a public facility to his private residence. The famed architect Cass Gilbert designed the desk, the estimated value of which is $40,000.
Loughry is the author of a lengthy history of political corruption in West Virginia called "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay For A Landslide." The spending scandal set off a constitutional crisis in West Virginia. Loughry and Ketchum left judicial service and were convicted of financial crimes in federal court. A third justice, Robin Jean Davis, resigned to avoid a prospective impeachment. The Daily Caller News Foundation identified evidence of a possible straw donation scheme to Davis's 2012 re-election campaign, prompting an investigation from the West Virginia secretary of state. The state Legislature impeached the remaining two justices, Margaret Workman and Beth Walker.
Walker subsequently contested the impeachment before a specially composed judicial panel. That panel issued an injunction barring an impeachment trial, concluding the Legislature exceeded its authority with respect to Walker's removal. Both Walker and Workman remain in office. GOP Gov. Jim Justice appointed Justices Tim Armstead, Evan Jenkins and John Hutchison to the seats vacated by Ketchum, Davis and Loughry.
https://www.dailycaller.com/2019/04/07/allen-loughry-in-jail/
#5543670 at 2019-03-06 22:39:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7088: Thank God For Patriots Edition
"Former West Virginia Supreme Court justice Menis Ketchum will serve no jail time after pleading guilty to one count of federal wire fraud in August.
U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. sentenced Ketchum, 76, to three years of probation and a $20,000 fine Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Charleston. Ketchum was also ordered to pay $749 in restitution.
The conviction carried a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ketchum's sentencing guidelines, which are advisory, ranged from zero to six months, though the U.S. Attorney's Office initially disputed that and said his guideline should have been between six and 12 months. "
wvgazettemail.com/news/cops_and_courts/former-state-supreme-court-justice-Ketchum-avoids-jail-time/article_b1cbed23-f16c-5132-a0f2-30dd389879f2.html
#4712946 at 2019-01-11 18:39:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6014: New Wall Edition
WEST VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT IMPEACHMENT CRISIS REACHES U.S. HIGH COURT
10:39 AM 01/11/2019 | POLITICS
Kevin Daley | Supreme Court Reporter
The West Virginia state legislature is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision halting impeachment of several state Supreme Court justices.
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals was roiled by a public corruption scandal resulting in a slew of resignations and indictments.
The justices will probably be reluctant to get involved, however.
The West Virginia state legislature has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision that halted the impeachment trials of several members of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
State lawmakers said they are not aiming to restart removal proceedings against the state Supreme Court justices. Rather, they believe the ruling at issue essentially dismantles their impeachment power.
"We have said since October that a strict reading of that opinion removes virtually all of the constitutional checks and balances we have on the judicial branch of government," House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw said in a statement. "Our action today is not an effort to resume the impeachment proceedings against any individual, but rather an effort to restore the proper legal and constitutional authority granted to the legislature with regard to impeachment proceedings."
The case arose after the legislature moved to impeach Chief Justice Margaret Workman for violations of the state judicial ethics code in connection with a spending and ethics scandal.
Workman then sued the legislature in state court, arguing it had exceeded its authority and violated her due process rights. A specially-composed panel of the West Virginia Supreme Court heard the case and ruled for Workman. The decision said the legislature violated separation of powers principles by impeaching Workman for ethics code infractions, since state law gives the judiciary exclusive power to enforce the code.
Now the legislature is asking the Supreme Court to overturn that decision, arguing it violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of a Republican form of government. The so-called "guarantee clause" provides that "the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government." (RELATED: At Trump's Request, Supreme Court May Soon Decide On Repealing DACA)
"The subject decision of the Supreme Court of West Virginia eviscerates the state's right to a republican form of government by elevating the judicial branch to a supreme branch of government with the power to adjudicate and restrain the legislative branch in the exercise of its obligations regarding impeachment proceedings," the House of Delegates wrote in its petition to the Supreme Court.
The legislature may have a difficult time convincing the justices to take their case, however. The Supreme Court has generally held that federal courts do not have power to hear guarantee clause cases. What's more, the justices generally gives state courts the final word on matters of state law.
The West Virginia Supreme Court was beset with instability throughout 2018, after local news investigations and an attendant federal investigation revealed fraudulent activities, dereliction of official duties, and lavish spending on office renovations on the part of the justices.
Two members of the court, Justices Menis Ketchum and Allen Loughry, have since pleaded guilty to public corruption indictments in federal court. Sentencing in both cases is expected later in January. A third justice, Robin Jean Davis, resigned to avoid the prospect of impeachment.
The House of Delegates adopted articles of impeachment against all five members of the panel. Ultimately only one impeachment trial was held in the state Senate, which resulted in an acquittal. Further impeachment proceedings ended after West Virginia's high court issued its decision barring Workman's impeachment.
Workman's response to the legislature's petition is due by Feb. 11.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/11/west-virginia-supreme-court-impeachment/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=daily_caller&utm_campaign=push
#3872208 at 2018-11-12 21:45:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4923: Common Core Ballot Tabulation Edition
Justice Allen Loughry announced the resignation of his seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals this weekend, after a jury found him guilty of 11 corruption counts on Oct. 12.
Loughry is the third justice to leave the high court in disgrace since July.
"I hereby resign my position as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia at the close of business on November 12, 2018," Loughry's terse letter to GOP Gov. Jim Justice reads.
The governor will appoint a new justice to Loughry's seat, who will serve until May 2020, according to Charleston Gazette-Mail.
A grand jury indicted Loughry for mail fraud, wire fraud, lying to investigators and witness tampering on June 18. According to the wide-ranging allegations, the justice used state resources for personal purposes, profiteered off the public purse, removed antique furniture from state offices to his home, lied to federal investigators, and attempted to influence the testimony of other witnesses.
He was suspended from the high court shortly thereafter, though he still officially retained his status as a state Supreme Court justice. (RELATED: West Virginia Is Facing A Full-Blown Constitutional Crisis)
After Loughry's indictment, Justice Menis Ketchum resigned on July 27. He has since pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud. Like Loughry, Ketchum was accused of using state vehicles for personal reasons, and improperly collecting state monies as reimbursement for unofficial travel.
Justice Robin Jean Davis followed suit on Aug. 11 and left the bench under threat of impeachment. Davis, Loughry and Ketchum were implicated in a spending scandal at the court, in which the justices used taxpayers dollars to finance lavish renovations to their chambers in the state capital.
The governor appointed two successors to Ketchum and Davis in August. His appointees - Evan Jenkins and Tim Armstead - both prevailed in the November elections.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announces the appointment of Evan Jenkins and Tim Armstead to the state Supreme Court (Accessed via Flickr creative commons)
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announces the appointment of Evan Jenkins and Tim Armstead to the state Supreme Court (Accessed via Flickr creative commons)
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported that Davis's 2012 reelection effort might have benefited from an illegal straw donation scheme in March 2017.
Loughry is the author of the definitive history of West Virginia's notorious political corruption. His book is called "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay For A Landslide." The former justice is now seeking a new trial, arguing the evidence marshaled against him is insufficient for conviction.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/11/12/allen-loughry-west-virginia-resigns/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=daily_caller&utm_campaign=push
#2977095 at 2018-09-11 17:58:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3766: In Eternal Remembrance Edition
https://abcnews.go.com/US/west-virginia-supreme-court-justices-face-impeachment-trial/story?id=57734036
>In the wake of scandals that have forced every member of West Virginia's Supreme Court to either resign or face impeachment, three justices are due in impeachment proceedings today in a move that critics say is politically motivated.
> In June, state lawmakers opened an investigation into potential spending and ethical violations of every member the court. In the early hours of August 14, based on the findings of the committee, the West Virginia House of Delegates voted to impeach four justices, Margaret Workman, Allen Loughry, Elizabeth Walker, and Robin Davis, on charges related to lavish spending and the waste of state funds. Justice Davis announced her immediate retirement on August 14. She is accused of spending approximately half a million dollars renovating her office…A fifth member, Justice Menis Ketchum, announced his resignation on July 11 before the House considered articles of impeachment against him. He later pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud for improper use of a state fuel credit card.
>Now, Justices Margaret Workman, Allen Loughry, and Elizabeth Walker are set to face impeachment proceedings in the state Senate. Workman is facing accusations that include overpaying judges' salaries and falsifying accounts. Walker is facing accusations that include wasting state funds. Loughry is facing a federal indictment on charges that include the misuse of state vehicles, and lying to FBI agents.
>Impeachment proceedings against the judges in the West Virginia Senate are set to begin today. If the remaining judges are removed in the upcoming Senate session, their open seats will be filled by West Virginia's Republican Governor Jim Justice.
#2862538 at 2018-09-03 21:40:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3619 Happy Labor Day Edition
do you remember Menis Ketchum, the judge from west virginia supreme court who retired on jul. 27, 2018 (announced on jul. 11, 2018)?
on jul. 13, 2018 judge allen loughry - also from west virginia supreme court - got suspended.
both are on the resignation list. both are on the indictment list.
so now 6 people confirmed on resignation & indictment list: https://www.resignation.info/indictments
#2721406 at 2018-08-24 10:45:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3437: "Jeff, this is GREAT" Edition
Ex-West Virginia Supreme Court justice pleads guilty
Menis Ketchum pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to a felony count of fraud related to his personal use of a state vehicle and gas fuel card in a scandal that has led to upcoming impeachment trials for the remaining justices.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced Ketchum's agreement to plead guilty soon after the 75-year-old justice retired in July. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Dec. 6.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/former-wv-supreme-court-appeals-justice-Menis-Ketchum-ii-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud
#2721341 at 2018-08-24 10:28:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3436: We Are Enjoying The Show Edition
>>2721336
US Attorney Press Release
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/former-wv-supreme-court-appeals-justice-Menis-Ketchum-ii-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud
#2721336 at 2018-08-24 10:27:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3436: We Are Enjoying The Show Edition
Ex-West Virginia Supreme Court justice pleads guilty
Menis Ketchum pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to a felony count of fraud related to his personal use of a state vehicle and gas fuel card in a scandal that has led to upcoming impeachment trials for the remaining justices.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced Ketchum's agreement to plead guilty soon after the 75-year-old justice retired in July. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Dec. 6.
The four other justices were impeached last week by the House of Delegates. Justice Robin Davis retired hours later. She and Justices Allen Loughry, Margaret Workman and Beth Walker face trial in the Senate.
The impeachment probe was sparked by questions involving more than $3 million in renovations to the justices' offices and expanded to broader accusations of corruption, incompetence and neglect of duty. The scandal prompted an extraordinary move by one branch of government to essentially fire another.
https://minnlawyer.com/2018/08/23/ex-west-virginia-supreme-court-justice-pleads-guilty/
#2712985 at 2018-08-23 17:16:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3426: Vengeful One Edition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Former WV Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Menis Ketchum II Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that former West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Menis E. Ketchum II, age 75, pled guilty to wire fraud. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia Legislature's Commission on Special Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
"Justice Ketchum did the right thing for doing the wrong thing," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. "There is no such thing as a small felony. There is no such thing as a little bit of public corruption. I want to praise the exemplary work of the FBI, the West Virginia Legislature's Commission on Special Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and prosecutors Anna Forbes and Phil Wright."
Justice Ketchum served as a Supreme Court Justice from January 1, 2008 through July 27, 2018. During that time, he admitted to repeated personal use of a State of West Virginia vehicle and State fuel credit card over the course of 2011 through 2014 in connection with his travel from his home in Huntington, West Virginia to and from a private golf club in western Virginia. The roundtrip mileage for each of these golf outings was approximately 400 miles and cost the taxpayers of West Virginia approximately $220 per trip.
Justice Ketchum faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on December 6, 2018.
United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Forbes and Phil Wright are handling the prosecution.
The plea agreeement can be found here.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/former-wv-supreme-court-appeals-justice-Menis-Ketchum-ii-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud
#2700317 at 2018-08-22 10:45:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3409: Saying "Q" on Accident or On Purpose Edition
Supreme courts impeached - heads of FBI soon to be removed. No faith in justice system, moving to Military tribunals?
West Virginia lawmakers made a historic decision Monday: They voted to impeach the state's entire Supreme Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state.
…
Eight of the articles targeted the court's chief justice, Allen Loughry, who, according to the Times, has been suspended since June. Among other accusations, he is accused of lying to lawmakers and using state property for his personal use, including vehicles and gas cards.
The remaining justices - acting Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justices Robin Davis and Elizabeth Walker - were impeached on three articles. Workman and Davis were impeached for overpaying senior status judges on lower courts, while Davis was impeached for misusing $500,000 in taxpayer funds on office renovations.
All four justices were charged with neglect of duty, abusing their power, and failing to reign in the spending of the others, according to NBC News.
The court's fifth justice, Menis Ketchum, resigned last month before impeachment proceedings began. He has also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of defrauding the state of West Virginia. He faces 20 years in federal prison.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/us/west-virginia-impeach-supreme-court.html
#2598358 at 2018-08-14 19:51:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3279: B = Bread
>>2598313
recommend as notable
West Virginia Justice system in meltdown mode:
2 resignations
Justice Robin Jean Davis
5th member of court Menis Ketchum
3 to stand trial
Chief Justice Margaret Workman
Justice Allen Loughry
Justice Elizabeth Walker
#2598313 at 2018-08-14 19:47:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3279: B = Bread
Another Justice Resigns As Lawmakers Impeach The Entire West Virginia Supreme Court
Justice Robin Jean Davis resigned in disgrace from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals early Tuesday.
Her departure came after the state legislature impeached every member of the state's highest court.
Spending scandal is the latest in a long history of ethics questions attending Davis's judicial service.
West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Robin Jean Davis announced her resignation early Tuesday, just hours after the state House of Delegates adopted articles of impeachment against every justice serving on the court.
Her resignation marks the conclusion of two decades on the bench, sometimes marred by scandal.
"We judges weigh evidence as part of our jobs," Davis said at a Tuesday press conference in Charleston, West Virginia. "Unfortunately, the evidence clearly shows that the preconceived, result-driven mania among the majority party members in the legislature cannot result in a just and fair outcome."
Her departure from the court took effect on Monday.
Davis and three of her colleagues were impeached in the state legislature late Monday. Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justices Allen Loughry and Elizabeth Walker will now stand trial in the state senate. The fifth member of the court, Menis Ketchum, resigned on July 27. He is expected to plead guilty to two corruption charges in federal court on Aug. 29.
The impeachment articles allege the justices failed to effectively administer the state courts, approved compensation for senior judges in excess of statutory limits, and abused state resources through lavish renovations to their chambers and unauthorized use of state vehicles for personal travel. (RELATED: West Virginia's Highest Court Shattered By Corruption Indictment)
GOP Gov. Jim Justice will appoint successors to any justice removed from office following the Senate trial.
Local media and state auditors discovered the justices cumulatively spent over $1 million on furniture and aesthetic upgrades for their state offices - Davis spent some $500,000, according to the impeachment articles, including $23,000 for design services and $20,000 for a sectional carpet.
Davis's profligate spending is just the latest iteration of her long history of ethical quandaries. Beginning in 2002, The Wall Street Journal reported Davis participated in a case from which her husband, a successful plaintiffs lawyer, stood to benefit financially. A legal ethics expert who taught Davis and her husband at the West Virginia University College of Law said the justice should have recused herself from the matter.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported in August 2016 that Davis sold her family's private jet to an attorney named Michael Fuller. Two years after the sale, Fuller defended a $95-million judgment before the West Virginia Supreme Court. Despite the possible conflict, Davis wrote an opinion for the court preserving a significant portion of that award.
TheDCNF uncovered evidence in March 2017 that a Florida-based corporate entity funneled thousands of dollars to her 2012 reelection campaign through an illegal straw donation scheme at the behest of the same attorney to whom Davis sold her plane. (RELATED: New Evidence Of Illegal Donations To West Virginia Judge Emerges)
The West Virginia secretary of state opened an investigation, though charges were never brought because the statute of limitations expired.
Still, a defiant Davis cast her service as honorable Tuesday, and accused state Republicans of concocting a plot to pack the court with conservatives.
"The people of West Virginia have honored me in three separate elections by placing their confidence in me as a justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals," she said. "I have returned their faith by serving honorably for almost 22 years."
"I encourage each of you to watch this legislative process very carefully and to vote in November," she added.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/14/justice-davis-resigns/
#2598310 at 2018-08-14 19:46:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3279: B = Bread
The entire West Virginia Supreme Court was just impeached. Here's everything you need to know.
West Virginia lawmakers made a historic decision Monday: They voted to impeach the state's entire Supreme Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state.
What are the details?
The West Virginia House of Delegates Judiciary Committee approved 14 articles of impeachment against the court's four sitting justices last week. Their alleged grievances ranged from misusing taxpayer money for office renovations to using state-owned property, including a historic desk, for personal use.
The full House of Delegates considered the articles of impeachment on Monday, ultimately approving 11 of them through a series of votes that fell along party lines, the New York Times reported.
Eight of the articles targeted the court's chief justice, Allen Loughry, who, according to the Times, has been suspended since June. Among other accusations, he is accused of lying to lawmakers and using state property for his personal use, including vehicles and gas cards.
The remaining justices - acting Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justices Robin Davis and Elizabeth Walker - were impeached on three articles. Workman and Davis were impeached for overpaying senior status judges on lower courts, while Davis was impeached for misusing $500,000 in taxpayer funds on office renovations.
All four justices were charged with neglect of duty, abusing their power, and failing to reign in the spending of the others, according to NBC News.
The court's fifth justice, Menis Ketchum, resigned last month before impeachment proceedings began. He has also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of defrauding the state of West Virginia. He faces 20 years in federal prison.
Meanwhile, Loughry, who was already on administrative leave prior to Monday's developments, is facing a 22-count federal indictment for fraud, witness tampering, lying to federal investigators, and obstruction of justice. His criminal trial is set to begin in October. If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 395 years in prison and a $5.5 million fine.
What happens next?
On Tuesday, Davis announced her resignation from the court, according to the Wall Street Journal. In a statement, the Democratic justice blamed partisan politics for the house cleaning.
"What we are witnessing is a disaster for the rule of law," she said.
The impeachment process for the three remaining justices will be handed off to the state Senate. The chamber will hold trials for each justice and decide whether they should be expelled from the bench.
Gov. Jim Justice (R) will get to name the replacement for any removed justice. Replacement justices will remain on the bench until an election can be held, according to the Times, which could take more than a year.
Circuit Judge Paul Farrell will preside over the Senate trial, since Workman - who would normally preside over impeachment proceedings as chief justice - cannot rule in her own trial. It was Workman who appointed Farrell to the bench. He was confirmed to the court last Friday on an interim basis.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/08/14/the-entire-west-virginia-supreme-court-was-just-impeached-heres-everything-you-need-to-know
#2598198 at 2018-08-14 19:39:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3278: Moar Bread Qoming
BAKER
The entire West Virginia Supreme Court was just impeached. Here's everything you need to know.
West Virginia lawmakers made a historic decision Monday: They voted to impeach the state's entire Supreme Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state.
What are the details?
The West Virginia House of Delegates Judiciary Committee approved 14 articles of impeachment against the court's four sitting justices last week. Their alleged grievances ranged from misusing taxpayer money for office renovations to using state-owned property, including a historic desk, for personal use.
The full House of Delegates considered the articles of impeachment on Monday, ultimately approving 11 of them through a series of votes that fell along party lines, the New York Times reported.
Eight of the articles targeted the court's chief justice, Allen Loughry, who, according to the Times, has been suspended since June. Among other accusations, he is accused of lying to lawmakers and using state property for his personal use, including vehicles and gas cards.
The remaining justices - acting Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justices Robin Davis and Elizabeth Walker - were impeached on three articles. Workman and Davis were impeached for overpaying senior status judges on lower courts, while Davis was impeached for misusing $500,000 in taxpayer funds on office renovations.
All four justices were charged with neglect of duty, abusing their power, and failing to reign in the spending of the others, according to NBC News.
The court's fifth justice, Menis Ketchum, resigned last month before impeachment proceedings began. He has also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of defrauding the state of West Virginia. He faces 20 years in federal prison.
Meanwhile, Loughry, who was already on administrative leave prior to Monday's developments, is facing a 22-count federal indictment for fraud, witness tampering, lying to federal investigators, and obstruction of justice. His criminal trial is set to begin in October. If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 395 years in prison and a $5.5 million fine.
What happens next?
On Tuesday, Davis announced her resignation from the court, according to the Wall Street Journal. In a statement, the Democratic justice blamed partisan politics for the house cleaning.
"What we are witnessing is a disaster for the rule of law," she said.
The impeachment process for the three remaining justices will be handed off to the state Senate. The chamber will hold trials for each justice and decide whether they should be expelled from the bench.
Gov. Jim Justice (R) will get to name the replacement for any removed justice. Replacement justices will remain on the bench until an election can be held, according to the Times, which could take more than a year.
Circuit Judge Paul Farrell will preside over the Senate trial, since Workman - who would normally preside over impeachment proceedings as chief justice - cannot rule in her own trial. It was Workman who appointed Farrell to the bench. He was confirmed to the court last Friday on an interim basis.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/08/14/the-entire-west-virginia-supreme-court-was-just-impeached-heres-everything-you-need-to-know
#2579007 at 2018-08-13 04:44:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3254: Comfy First Bake Edition
WEST VIRGINIA'S SUPREME COURT IS SO CORRUPT, EVERY JUSTICE FACES IMPEACHMENT
Who presides over the impeachment trial of a state Supreme Court justice if the entire state Supreme Court is being impeached?
It's an absurd constitutional hypothetical West Virginians are left to grapple with, after the West Virginia House of Delegates Judiciary Committee drafted articles of impeachment against four justices on the state's highest court.
Five justices sit on the state Supreme Court in West Virginia. The state legislature has drafted articles of impeachment against Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justices Robin Jean Davis, Beth Walker, and Allen Loughry. The court's fifth justice, Menis Ketchum, retired in late July. Ketchum will plead guilty to two federal corruption charges on Aug. 29.
Loughry was placed on unpaid administrative leave in June after a state commission lodged a 32-count complaint against him, alleging pervasive violations of the state ethics code. He has since been indicted in federal court for fraud, witness tampering, and making false statements to investigators.
The remaining three justices - Workman, Davis, and Walker - face impeachment for wasting government resources and failing to effectively administer the state courts. All three spent large sums of taxpayer dollars on lavish improvements to their chambers in the state capital, which cumulatively totaled almost $750,000, and allegedly abused state travel resources. Workman and Davis also allegedly authorized compensation for other state judges in excess of the amounts allowed by West Virginia law.
"There appears to be, based on the evidence before us, an atmosphere that has engulfed the court of cavalier indifference to the expenditure of taxpayer funds, to the protection of taxpayer-paid assets, and an almost incomprehensible arrogance that for some reason they are not a coequal branch but a superior branch of government," Delegate John Shott said during a judiciary committee hearing on Aug. 7.
dailycaller.com/2018/08/12/west-virginia-impeachment-supreme-court/?utm_campaign=atdailycaller&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social
#2524164 at 2018-08-09 15:26:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3184: Seatbacks Up Approaching Gitmo Edition
>>2524017
If any of the justices are removed, Gov. Jim Justice could appoint an equal number of justices to the state Supreme Court. Only one seat will be filled through the electoral process, to fill the seat left vacant by retired Justice Menis Ketchum, who is scheduled for a plea hearing hearing in federal court later this month.
#2519900 at 2018-08-09 03:58:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3179: MetaphoriQal Bread
Previous Bread:
>>2519130
>>2519335
>>2519089
>>2519201
>>2519220
>>2519250
>>2519310
>>2519324
>>2519328
>>2519333
>>2519335
End Previous Bread:
All this noise and no digging. I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to be shocked or gleeful about these judges getting canned.
What are the news stories with the facts? What are the op-eds that are supposed to tell me what to think so that I can purposefully try to argue against them until I ultimately believe myself or the op-ed?
Why is this fucking place starting to look like /pol/ all over again?
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/636761241/west-virginia-house-panel-votes-to-impeach-entire-supreme-court
>By law, West Virginia has five Supreme Court justices
K.
> But the bench was reduced to four in July, when Justice Menis Ketchum resigned - abruptly announcing his retirement just as impeachment proceedings were set to begin.
From Wikipedia:
>Menis E. Ketchum II was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He was elected as a Democrat to a twelve-year term on the Court in November 2008 and served as Chief Justice in 2012 …
Oh wow. Looks like this fucking guy saw something coming…
Margaret (((Workman)))
In 1981, she was appointed a circuit judge by Governor Jay Rockefeller
Allen H. Loughry II:
Allen H. Loughry II (born August 9, 1970) is currently suspended without pay as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He was arrested by the FBI on the morning of June 20, 2018. He faces up to 395 years in prison.[2] On June 26, 2018, the West Virginia House of Delegates began the process of possible impeachment.[3]
From 2003 until his election to the Supreme Court, Loughry served as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He worked for several Justices, lastly for Justice Margaret Workman.
AIN'T THAT A MOTHER FUCKER
Robin Davis:
In December 2014, ABC News reported on controversies surrounding Robin Davis: her ties to attorney Michael Fuller, who helped her raise $37,000 for her campaign; and the sale of a Lear Jet by her husband Scott Segal. The investigation raises questions about conflicts of interest and ethical decisions made by the then-Chief Justice
https://abcnews.go.com/US/circus-continues-judge-lawyer-challenged-controversial-jet-deal/story?id=28886937
Beth Walker:
Prior to taking the bench, Walker was an attorney for West Virginia University Medicine.
Not sure what the last one has on her, but you never know! Maybe someone on this fucking board can finish what I started, eh?
#2519244 at 2018-08-09 03:01:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3178: Mein Brot
>>2519232
West Virginia's House Judiciary Committee has adopted articles of impeachment against all four justices on the state's Supreme Court of Appeals, accusing the judges of a range of crimes and throwing the court's immediate future into disarray.
Approved on Tuesday afternoon, the articles of impeachment recommend that the entire bench - Chief Justice Margaret Workman, Justice Allen Loughry, Justice Robin Davis, and Justice Elizabeth Walker - be impeached "for maladministration, corruption, incompetency, neglect of duty, and certain high crimes and misdemeanors."
By law, West Virginia has five Supreme Court justices, who are elected to 12-year terms. But the bench was reduced to four in July, when Justice Menis Ketchum resigned - abruptly announcing his retirement just as impeachment proceedings were set to begin.
Many of the articles take aim at Loughry - whom a federal grand jury indicted in June on a number of serious charges that include fraud, witness tampering and lying to federal investigators.
The investigation into Loughry centered on his use of official vehicles, the expensive renovation of his Supreme Court office - and his moving of a valuable and historic "Cass Gilbert" desk from a Capitol building to his home office.
The 14 newly adopted articles accuse all the justices of overspending to remodel their offices and of failing to properly execute their administrative duties. Except for Walker, they were also accused of paying retired senior status judges more than the law allowed.
"This is truly a sad day for West Virginia, but it is an important step forward if we are going to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary," said Judiciary Committee Chairman John Shott, a Republican.
The full House is slated to vote on the impeachment articles next Monday; if approved, they would then move to the Senate. The next step would be for the Senate to hold a trial.
As for how the bench would be filled if any justices are removed or resign, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports that next Tuesday, Aug. 14, is the deadline for arranging a special election for November. After that, it would fall to the governor to appoint any new justices.
Because Ketchum retired well before the deadline, his seat is up for a special election this fall.
The timing of Tuesday's vote to approve the impeachment articles - after a month of hearings, and one week before the Aug. 14 deadline - was quickly criticized by Democrats.
"It's a coup," said Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, a Democrat who is the judiciary committee's minority chair. She added, "They dragged this out all summer long, and suddenly they put this on the agenda."
Fleischauer told NPR that she sees the timing of the impeachment as a ploy to allow Gov. Jim Justice - a former Democrat who is now a Republican - to appoint the majority of the justices on the state's highest court. Any new justices would then serve until the next election in two years' time, she said.
Shott has denied that any political maneuvering was at work, telling the Charleston Gazette-Mail, "Especially in an election year, there's going to be people who will spin it however it creates the most advantage to them. That's just part of the process."
In 2015, West Virginia voted to make its Supreme Court elections nonpartisan. But all of the current justices have been affiliated with the two main parties, and at the start of the year, the bench's unofficial makeup was 3-2 in favor of the Democrats. Loughry won office as a Republican; Walker ran as a Republican in 2008 before being elected in a nonpartisan vote in 2016. Both Workman and Davis were elected as Democrats, as was Ketchum.
Fleischauer and Shott also differ on the nature of the charges involved. While Fleischauer said she views the charges against Loughry as serious, she thinks the charges against the other three justices are "a lot different" and don't warrant impeachment charges.
On Tuesday, Shott said that after reviewing the evidence, "it became clear that a culture of entitlement and disregard for both the law and taxpayer funds have damaged the reputation of our judicial system - and that all justices had a part in violating the public's trust."
#2501154 at 2018-08-07 22:23:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3155 "Digest and understand." Edition
>>2501082 lb
Highly Notable from last bread
From the sauce:
Anyone found "guilty" of committing an impeachable offense by the Senate will be removed from office and permanently banned from seeking public office in the state.
To date, the articles of impeachment are the only charges faced by Workman, Davis and Walker.
Former Justice Menis Ketchum was not subject to any of the articles of impeachment. Ketchum's resignation last month meant he couldn't be subject to impeachment under the procedures established by the House Judiciary Committee.
Ketchum has agreed to plead guilty to one criminal count of federal wire fraud, according to an agreement announced by U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart last week.
Loughry is the subject of a 23-count federal indictment charging him with 16 counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, three counts of making false statements to a federal agent, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of witness tampering.
The first indictment against Loughry was handed up on June 19, and a federal grand jury handed up a superseding indictment against him in July.
Loughry is out of jail on a personal recognizance bond, and his trail is scheduled to begin Oct. 2.
Loughry has been suspended from the bench since June 8.
On June 6, the West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission charged Loughry with 32 counts of violating the state's Code of Judicial Conduct by misusing the state-owned cars, computers and furniture and lying to lawmakers, the public and the media about it.
www.wvgazettemail.com/news/cops_and_courts/wv-house-judiciary-introduces-articles-of-impeachment-against-all-supreme/article_f4795b83-ba20-5ac8-a267-aeb4b10060fa.html
#2136865 at 2018-07-13 02:24:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research #2694 Pray for POTUS while in UK Edition
Draining the Mountain State Swamp - Supreme Court resignation and impeachments
Ketchum handwritten faxed letter of resignation - see page 3:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4594602-Menis-Ketchum-Resignation-Letter-and-Supreme.html
Any handwritinganons want to weigh in on pen width on letter vs signature? Also the r in yours vs letter?
Sauce:
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/on-eve-of-impeachment-meetings-Ketchum-quits-wv-supreme-court/article_0bb52c20-b886-53c9-b221-b3f3991554ce.html
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/07/12/live-blog-supreme-court-impeachment-in-wv-begins/