Upshur prosecutor to be sworn in as new circuit judge

BUCKHANNON – Upshur County Prosecutor Jacob “Jake” Reger will be sworn in as the judge of the Twenty-Sixth Judicial Circuit (Lewis and Upshur counties) in a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, in the circuit courtroom of the Upshur County Courthouse.

The ceremony is open to the public and a public reception will follow.

Another public reception will be held in the circuit court courtroom of the Lewis County Judicial Annex at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1.

A Republican, Reger was elected Nov. 4 to fill the unexpired term of Judge Thomas Keadle, who retired Jan. 31, 2013. Reger defeated Democrat Kurt W. Hall, who had been serving as Circuit Judge since Aug. 9, 2013, when he was appointed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to serve in Keadle’s place until the 2014 general election.

Keadle, now a senior status judge, will deliver the oath of office to Reger.

Reger has been Upshur County prosecutor since 2005. He previously had his own law practice in Buckhannon from 2002-05. He was director of a fraud investigation unit for the West Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs from 1998-2002. He was an assistant prosecutor in Upshur County from 1993-98, during which time he also had a part-time general practice through Coleman & Wallace in Buckhannon. He began his law career with Rexroad & Rexroad after he became an attorney in 1992.

He also served as assistant to then-Gov. Arch Moore from 1985-86 and as director of the state’s employment training division from 1986-89.