John Yoder

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John Yoder

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Prior offices

Twenty-Third Circuit Court

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Education

Bachelor's

Chapman University

Graduate

University of Chicago

Law

University of Kansas, School of Law

John Yoder was a judge for the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit, which presides over Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties in West Virginia. He was elected to the court in 2008. Yoder died on June 9, 2017, from complications after heart surgery.

Biography

Yoder received his undergraduate degree from Chapman University, his master's degree from the University of Chicago, and his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law.

Yoder served as a judge for the Ninth Judicial District of Kansas beginning in 1976. In 1980 he was selected to serve as a judicial fellow with the Supreme Court of the United States. He continued on as a special assistant to the chief justice of the United States until 1983. In 1983, Yoder became a federal prosecutor. He was also appointed by President Reagan to serve as the first director of the Asset Forfeiture Office at the Department of Justice. Judge Yoder was also a West Virginia State Senator who represented the 16th Senatorial District in West Virginia for eight years until his election to the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit in 2008.

Elections

2016

See also: West Virginia local trial court judicial elections, 2016

West Virginia held general elections for county judicial offices on May 10, 2016. This date coincided with partisan primaries for statewide and federal offices. The 2016 election was the first nonpartisan election for the state's judicial seats since statehood in 1863. Learn more about this change here. Candidates interested in filing for the election submitted paperwork by January 30, 2016. Incumbent John Yoder ran unopposed in the general election for the West Virginia Judicial Circuit 23, Division 2 seat.

West Virginia Judicial Circuit 23, Division 2 General Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
John Yoder Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	15,639
Total Votes		15,639
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State, "Election Results Center," accessed May 10, 2016

Selection method

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

The judges of the West Virginia Circuit Court are elected in nonpartisan elections to serve eight-year terms. Judges must run for re-election when their terms expire.

The chief judge of each circuit court is selected by peer vote. Term lengths vary by circuit.

Qualifications
To serve on a West Virginia Circuit Court, a judge must be:

• a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years;
• a resident of his or her circuit;
• at least 30 years old; and
• practiced in law for at least five years.

2012

See also: West Virginia judicial elections, 2012

Yoder ran for a seat on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in 2012. Since there were two seats in contention and two Republicans running, neither competed in the primary election on May 8. Yoder was defeated in the general election on November 6, receiving 23.92 percent of the vote.

2010

See also: West Virginia judicial elections, 2010

Yoder lost narrowly to Democrat incumbent Thomas E. McHugh, receiving 49.1% of the vote to McHugh's 50.8%. Yoder ran as a Republican candidate for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. The seat for which he ran was held by justice Joseph Albright who passed away in 2009 with a term expiring in 2012. Governor Manchin appointed Thomas E. McHugh to fill the seat until the 2010 election, when someone would be elected to fill the remaining two years of Albright's term.

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Primary %	Election %
Thomas E. McHugh A	Yes	McHugh Seat	Democratic	100%	50.8%
John Yoder	No	McHugh Seat	Republican	100%	49.1%

Yoder previously ran for the Supreme Court in 1996 and 2000.

"I believe it is extremely important to have a justice on the Supreme Court with prior legislative experience who respects the distinction between the legislative and judicial process and to provide balance on the court. As a former legislator who has served in all three branches of government, I recognize and respect the fact that it is the role of the legislature, and not the judiciary, to enact legislation and make social policy. As a justice, I will respect those boundaries while strictly interpreting and upholding the law. At the same time, if legislative actions violate the Constitution, I will not hesitate to uphold the Constitution."

See also

• Courts in West Virginia
• West Virginia counties
• Judicial selection in West Virginia

External links

• West Virginia Judiciary, "Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit Judges and Court Information"
• West Virginia Judiciary, "Circuit Courts Overview"
• West Virginia Judiciary, "Court Information by County"
• John Yoder's Campaign Website
• Vote Smart Profile
• The Parthenon, "Republican judge hopes to fill vacant Supreme Court of Appeals seat in special election" (dead link)
• The Charleston Gazette, "Supreme Court candidates differ on need for intermediate court," October 5, 2010

Footnotes

West Virginia courts

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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