Supreme Court of Appeals Administrative Office 1900 Kanawha Blvd., East Bldg. 1, Room, E-316 State of Charleston, West Virginia 25305 (304) 340-2305 Jennifer Bundy (304) 340-2306 April Harless (304) 558-1212 FAX Web Site: www.courtswv.gov Facebook: wvjudiciary Twitter: WVcourts Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/courtswv/ News Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Supreme Court welcomes new Justice For immediate release Wednesday, December 12, 2018

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Supreme Court Justices welcome Circuit Judge John A. Hutchison to the Supreme Court. Governor appointed Judge Hutchison today to fill the vacancy on the Court left by the resignation of . He will serve on the Court until the May 2020 election, at which time he can run to retain the seat until the end of Justice Loughry’s term in 2024. “Judge Hutchison is one of the most experienced and respected circuit judges in West Virginia,” Chief Justice said. “I applaud the governor for making such a wise choice.” Justice said, “I congratulate Judge Hutchison on his appointment and I’m excited about the vast experience he will bring to the Court. He will be a great help in our efforts to improve transparency and accountability at the Court.” Justice said, “I have a good working relationship with Judge Hutchison from my days as Speaker of the House of Delegates. He, with other judges, often represented the judicial association in meetings with legislators about issues involving circuit judges. I look forward to continuing to work with him, now as a colleague.” Justice Evan Jenkins said, “I congratulate the governor on choosing an outstanding candidate. Judge Hutchison will bring years of judicial experience to the Supreme Court and I look forward to working with him.” Judge Hutchison was born in and raised in Beckley, West Virginia. He has a 1972 bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Davis and Elkins College and a 1980 law degree from College of Law. From 1972 to 1974 he was assistant basketball coach at Davis and Elkins College and from 1974 to 1997 he taught and coached in Raleigh County Schools. From 1975 to 1977 he served as dorm director and assistant basketball coach at Concord University. He practiced law in Raleigh County for ten years with Gorman, Sheatsley and Hutchison. In 1991 he opened the Nationwide Insurance West Virginia Trial Division Office and served as its managing trial attorney for four years. Then-Governor Gaston Caperton appointed him to the Tenth Judicial Circuit (Raleigh County) in 1995. He was elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, 2008, and 2016. He is a member of the Supreme Court’s Mass Litigation Panel and was a judicial representative on the Commission to Study Residential Placement of Children. He has been appointed several times to sit on the Supreme Court when a Justice has been recused. He has been treasurer, secretary, vice president, and president of the West Virginia Judicial Association and he has been chairman and vice-chairman of the association’s legislative and pensions committees. Judge Hutchison was a registered official with the Secondary School Activities Commission in soccer and baseball for approximately fifteen years and also has served on the board of directors at the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA. He is married to Victoria Lagowski Hutchison and they have two children and two grandchildren.

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