West Virginia Record

INSTITUTE -– A West Virginia State University professor has been appointed a municipal court judge by the town of Gilbert.

Dr. Michael Kane, assistant professor of Criminal Justice, was appointed oct. 15 by the Gilbert Town Council.

“I’m very excited about it,” Kane said of his appointment. “My passion is criminal justice.”

In his new role, Kane will hear cases such as those involving traffic citations and other petty crimes. He said that he will hold court every other week in Gilbert and is looking forward to stepping into his new part-time position.

Kane teaches Criminal Justice 308 Ethics in Criminal Justice, which addresses dilemmas in adjudication. He said his experience as a municipal court judge will help him in the classroom.

“I teach criminal justice ethics and adjudication, and ethical sentencing is a cornerstone,” he said. “This experience should help.”

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Kane is familiar with the judicial system from the other side of the bench. He has served as a police officer in Louisiana and Tennessee and previously worked at the Mt. Olive Correctional Complex in West Virginia. He has been an assistant professor at West Virginia State University for the past three years.

“I’m originally from Maryland and grew up in North Carolina, but Gilbert is like my adopted hometown,” Kane said of the Mingo County community. “I have family there, and when I was growing up we would spend summers there.”

Kane will undergo training for his new duties Nov. 2 and will begin his municipal court duties Nov. 15.

He will serve at the will of the Gilbert Town Council.