Davis
Maynard
Benjamin
WHEELING -– Three West Virginia Supreme Court justices are scheduled to speak Wednesday at an event sponsored by the Wheeling-Area Chamber of Commerce.
Chief Justice Robin Jean Davis, Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard, and Justice Brent D. Benjamin will each speak briefly and then answer questions at the chamber's Annual Judicial Update luncheon from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Wednesday at The Stone Room at Wheeling Park in Wheeling.
The Justices will talk to business leaders and attorneys about the West Virginia Judicial System.
For more information about the event, contact Wheeling-Area Chamber of Commerce President Terry Sterling at (304) 233-2575.
Davis is a native of Boone County who received her undergraduate degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College and her master's degree and law degree from West Virginia University. She was a lawyer in private practice, specializing in domestic relations and employee benefits, from 1982 until her election to the Supreme Court to an unexpired term in 1996. She was re-elected in 2000 to a full 12-year term, becoming the only woman ever re-elected to statewide office in West Virginia. She also served as Chief Justice in 1998, 2002, and 2006. She is the senior member of the Supreme Court.
Maynard was born in Mingo County and received his bachelor's degree from Florida Southern College and his law degree from West Virginia University. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1961 to 1966. From 1968 to 1970 he was Managing Director of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce. He was a lawyer in private practice from 1974 to 1981 and Mingo County Prosecutor from 1976 until 1981, when then-Gov. Jay Rockefeller appointed him to the circuit bench. He was twice elected judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit. He was elected to the Supreme Court in 1996 and has served as Chief Justice in 2000 and 2004.
Benjamin is a native of Marietta, Ohio, who has lived in Charleston for 23 years. He holds undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University. Before he was elected to the Supreme Court in 2004, he was an attorney in private practice in Charleston. He did general civil litigation in state and federal courts, including toxic torts and complex litigation. His civil rights practice focused on protecting children from physical and sexual abuse. He is a current member of the Hocking College Archaeological Mission and has participated in archaeological excavations in the United States and Egypt.