John A. Hutchison

John A. Hutchison (born 1950) is an American lawyer serving as a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He joined the court in 2018 and served as chief justice in 2022.

John Hutchison
Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
In office
January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Preceded byEvan Jenkins
Succeeded byBeth Walker
Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
Assumed office
December 12, 2018
Appointed byJim Justice
Preceded byPaul Farrell (Acting)
Personal details
Born1950 (age 72–73)
Beckley, West Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (before 2018)
Independent (2018–present)
EducationDavis and Elkins College (BA)
West Virginia University, Morgantown (JD)

Education

Hutchison received his Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Davis & Elkins College in 1972. He graduated with his Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1980.[1]

Career

Hutchison practiced law in Raleigh County for 10 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.[2]

Judicial service

Hutchison was appointed to the bench in the Tenth Judicial Circuit (Raleigh County) by then-Governor Gaston Caperton in 1995, and he was elected to that seat in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, 2008 and 2016.[3]

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

After the resignation of Justice Allen Loughry,[1][4] Hutchison was one of fifteen people interviewed by the West Virginia Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission for the vacancy.[1] He was appointed by Governor Jim Justice on December 12, 2018.[5][6][7] Justice appointed Hutchison despite their different party registration. Hutchison had previously been elected as a Democrat through several partisan judicial elections. Nevertheless, the Republican Justice called Hutchison "one of the most conservative, respected jurists in the state of West Virginia" upon his appointment.[8] Then-Republican Party Chair Melody Potter celebrated the appointment while Belinda Biafore, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, accused Justice of playing politics with the appointment.[8]

In June 2020, Hutchison faced his first election to serve the remainder of former Justice Allen Loughry's term.[9] Hutchison beat Lora Dyer, a circuit court judge on the Fifth West Virginia Circuit Court[10] and attorney William Schwartz.[11] Hutchison became chief justice in 2022.[12]

General election results
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan John A. Hutchison (incumbent) 137,681 39.2%
Nonpartisan Lora Dyer 124,939 31.0%
Nonpartisan William Schwartz 88,369 25.6%
Total votes 350,989 100.0%

Personal

He is married to Victoria Lagowski Hutchison and they have two children and two grandchildren.[13]

References
  1. Pierson, Lacie (December 12, 2018). "Raleigh circuit judge appointed to state Supreme Court". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  2. Holdren, Wendy (December 12, 2018). "Raleigh Judge John Hutchison appointed to state Supreme Court". Beckley Register-Herald. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  3. "Justice John A. Hutchison".
  4. Stuck, Taylor (December 23, 2018). "New faces on state Supreme Court after impeachment proceedings". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  5. "Gov. Justice appoints Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge John Hutchison to the Supreme Court of Appeals". governor.wv.gov. December 18, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  6. "WV MetroNews – Hutchison to take seat on state Supreme Court". wvmetronews.com. December 12, 2018.
  7. "WV Judicial System Judges". www.courtswv.gov.
  8. Adams, Steven Allen (December 13, 2018). "West Virginia Governor Appoints Hutchison to State Supreme Court". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register.
  9. "West Virginia judicial elections, 2012". Ballotpedia.
  10. "Lora Dyer". Ballotpedia.
  11. Barger, K. "WV election | Schwartzforwv.com | United States". Wks2020.
  12. "Justice John Hutchison to be Chief Justice in 2022, Justice Beth Walker to be Chief Justice in 2023" (PDF). Administrative Office of the Supreme Court of Appeals State of West Virginia. December 2, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  13. "Justice John A. Hutchison - Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia". www.courtswv.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
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