Latest / Commentary - TJ Meadows / Meaningless Crusade Against Judge Akers Continues

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Meaningless Crusade Against Judge Akers Continues · Commentary - TJ Meadows

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  Speaker 1: A little more than a year ago, Kennall County Circuit
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  Speaker 1: Judge Mary Claire Acres appeared on talk Line. She didn't
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  Speaker 1: ask to come on the program. She was invited, and
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  Speaker 1: that's an important detail. Talk Line is a news and
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  Speaker 1: politics show. And frankly, what issue could be of greater
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  Speaker 1: interest to West Virginians than understanding why a circuit judge
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  Speaker 1: convened a hearing asking then Department of Human Services Secretary
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  Speaker 1: Alex Mayer to explain the circumstances surrounding a suicide attempt
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  Speaker 1: by a twelve year old in state care. That's the
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  Speaker 1: kind of issue the public deserves to know about, the
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  Speaker 1: kind of information citizens should have when they step into
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  Speaker 1: the voting booth or call their legislative representatives. And it's
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  Speaker 1: not an issue a judge should be afraid to discuss,
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  Speaker 1: especially given the care Acres took. She didn't talk about
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  Speaker 1: the details of that child's case. Instead, she explained the
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  Speaker 1: administrative order she issued outlining how future CPS proceedings would
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  Speaker 1: be handled in her courtroom. But the West Virginia Judicial
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  Speaker 1: Investigation Commission didn't see it that way. But the Commission
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  Speaker 1: was wrong then and it's wrong now as it continues
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  Speaker 1: on this meaningless crusade against Acres. Plainly, Acres is being
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  Speaker 1: targeted for specifically speaking about one of West Virginia's most
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  Speaker 1: serious challenges, a child welfare system strained by the opioid crisis,
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  Speaker 1: in an effort to educate the public and shine a
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  Speaker 1: light on the issue. That's not judicial misconduct, that's responsibility,
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  Speaker 1: that's leadership. A hearing before the Judicial Hearing Board took
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  Speaker 1: place Thursday in Charleston, but notably, key testimony was limited.
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  Speaker 1: House Speaker Roger Hanshaw was reportedly prepared to testify about
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  Speaker 1: why judges speaking publicly can help lawmakers craft better policy. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: he was restricted to appearing only as a character witness.
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  Speaker 1: Former State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman was also limited
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  Speaker 1: in what she could say. Why wouldn't the board want
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  Speaker 1: to hear those perspectives? There isn't a good answer, at
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  Speaker 1: least not one that would lead to the truth. All
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  Speaker 1: taken together limited testimony, a lack of transparency, and no
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  Speaker 1: public webcast of the hearing, the process begins to look
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  Speaker 1: like something of a black box, which raises a larger
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  Speaker 1: question whether the commission itself needs reform. Because the chilling
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  Speaker 1: effect is obvious. Judges may think twice before speaking publicly
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  Speaker 1: about serious issues. Good lawyers considering a run for the
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  Speaker 1: bench may hesitate. As voters head towards the May primary.
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  Speaker 1: They may want to ask judicial candidates a simple question,
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  Speaker 1: do you support reforms to the JIC. The answer to
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  Speaker 1: that question could tell you a lot about who deserves
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  Speaker 1: your vote and who doesn't.