Jaymie Godwin Wilfong
Jaymie Godwin Wilfong was a judge for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, which serves Randolph County in West Virginia.[1] She served as a judge on the court from January 2009 until her suspension from the bench on October 30, 2014.[2][3]
Education
Wilfong received her J.D. degree from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1995.[2]
Career
Before she became a circuit court judge, Wilfong served as a family court judge for the Twenty-Second Family Circuit Court from 2003 to 2008.[2]
Noteworthy events
Wilfong suspended for remainder of her term
On October 30, 2014, the West Virginia Supreme Court suspended Wilfong without pay for the remainder of her term, which expired on December 31, 2016.[3]
Wilfong was charged with violating four canons of the judicial code of conduct stemming from her alleged extra-marital affair with a fellow court employee, William Travis Carter. Carter, a community corrections director, was also suspended from his office.[4]
Wilfong voluntarily disclosed the affair to the West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission. The commission's investigation found that Wilfong had used a court phone and computer to exchange sexually explicit emails, texts messages, and photos with Carter. Evidence also reportedly suggested that she disclosed the nature of her relationship to other court employees and engaged in sexual acts in her court offices.
In response to the charges, Wilfong stated: "My relationship with William Travis Carter did not affect my work as a judge. I did my job and I continue to do my job. The Statement of Charges does not allege that my work on the bench was compromised by the relationship; it alleges that the appearance of the judicial system and its integrity were harmed and I admit that."[5]
The West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission's Formal Statement of Charges can be read here.
Wilfong's Response to the Formal Statement of Charges can be read here.
See also
External links
- West Virginia Judiciary, "Twentieth Judicial Circuit Judges and Court Information"
- West Virginia Judiciary, "Circuit Courts Overview"
- West Virginia Judiciary, "Court Information by County"
Footnotes
- ↑ West Virginia Judiciary, "Twentieth Judicial Circuit Judges and Court Information," accessed November 17, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The InterMountain.com, "Judge Jaymie Wilfong," March 12, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 WV Gazette, "Replacements selected for suspended Randolph judge," October 31, 2014
- ↑ WBOY.com, "Special Judicial Counsel Recommends Judge Jaymie Wilfong Be Suspended Without Pay For 4 Years," August 19, 2014
- ↑ WBOY.com, "Charges Filed Against Randolph County Judge in Reported Affair with Former Community Corrections Director," April 28, 2014
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia
State courts:
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia • West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals • West Virginia Circuit Courts • West Virginia Family Courts • West Virginia Magistrate Courts • West Virginia Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in West Virginia • West Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in West Virginia
