Ward Harshbarger III
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Ward Harshbarger III was a judge for the magistrate court in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Harshbarger ran for re-election in 2016.[1] Harshbarger lost in the general election on May 10, 2016.
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. Rusty Casto defeated Cecilia Thomas and incumbent Ward Harshbarger III in the general election for the Kanawha County Magistrate Court Division 2 seat.[1]
| Kanawha County Magistrate Court Division 2 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Rusty Casto |
36.11% | 13,540 |
| Cecilia Thomas | 32.00% | 11,997 |
| Ward Harshbarger III Incumbent | 31.77% | 11,910 |
| Write-in votes | 0.13% | 47 |
| Total Votes | 37,494 | |
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State, "Election Results Center," accessed May 10, 2016 | ||
Selection method
For more information about judicial selection processes in each state, click here.
Noteworthy events
Misconduct complaint filed against Harshbarger
West Virginia's state supreme court administrator, Steve Canterbury, filed a complaint against Harshbarger in March 2014, and ethics charges were filed against the judge on April 11 by the West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission. The charges are related to a domestic violence case involving the prosecutor for the county, Mark Plants, and his ex-wife, Allison Plants.[2][3]
Allison Plants requested an emergency protective order against her ex-husband in February 2014.[2] She claimed his discipline of one of their sons rose to the level of abuse. Mark Plants denied the accusations in a news conference on February 27. The commission said that Harshbarger did not give Allison Plants' filing a "full and fair review," and that the judge discussed the issue with people were not involved in the case. Harshbarger claimed that he planned to deny the petition before he knew it was against the prosecutor. The day after Harshbarger denied it, Judge Mike Kelly, in the county's family court, approved the protective order.[4] Mark Plants was charged with violating the order on March 18 and was charged with domestic battery on March 31 in relation to the incident.[3]
The West Virginia Judicial Hearing Board recommended that the judge be publicly censured for his behavior, and that he be required to pay a $2,000 fine. During the hearing, Harshbarger apologized and admitted that he did not handle the petition properly.[5] In June, the West Virginia Supreme Court approved the board's recommendation. Harshbarger also had to pay $3,790 to cover the cost of the investigation.[6]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidate Search," accessed February 16, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Charleston Daily Mail, "Complaint filed against Kanawha magistrate tied to Plants' case," March 13, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 West Virginia Record, "Ethics charges filed against Kanawha magistrate," April 23, 2015
- ↑ The Charleston Gazette, "Kanawha prosecutor's ex-wife accuses him of child abuse," February 27, 2014
- ↑ WV Metro News, "Board recommends action against Kanawha County magistrate," May 5, 2014
- ↑ Charleston Gazette-Mail, "Court OKs sanctions against Kanawha magistrate," June 10, 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
