CHARLESTON – Judge H. Charles Carl III of the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit (Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton counties) has been appointed to the West Virginia Business Court Division.
The Business Court is a division within West Virginia’s Judiciary designed to handle complex commercial litigation between businesses.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret L. Workman appointed Carl in an order signed June 24. His term will be from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2022.
Trial Court Rule 29.02 calls for the Business Court Division to consist of up to seven active or senior status circuit court judges appointed by the Chief Justice, with the approval of the Supreme Court of Appeals. Each appointment is for a term of seven years. Three judges were appointed in 2012 and another four were added as the division’s workload has increased. Their terms are staggered. There is no prohibition against serving successive terms, either as judge or as Chair of the Division.
The other judges in the Division are:
* Christopher C. Wilkes (Chairman), Judge in the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit (Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties). His term ends Oct. 9, 2019.
* James J. Rowe, Judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties). His term ends Oct. 9, 2019.
* Thomas C. Evans III, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit (Calhoun, Jackson, Mason, and Roane counties). His term ends Oct. 9, 2019.
* James H. Young Jr., Judge of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit (Wayne County). His term ends Dec. 31, 2019.
* Russell M. Clawges Jr., Judge of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (Monongalia County). His term ends Sept. 30, 2020.
* Paul T. Farrell, Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit (Cabell County). His term ends Sept. 30, 2020.
Carl is a native of Springfield in Hampshire County. He has a 1984 bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a 1987 law degree from Capital University Law School.
He began practicing law in 1987 when he joined his grandfather in the firm Ansel and Carl, which eventually grew into Carl, Keaton, Frazer and Milleson, PLLC, located in Romney. Carl had a general practice including civil litigation, criminal and family law, real estate and estate law. He was general counsel for the Bank of Romney, where he also served as a director for more than 20 years.
He was president of the South Branch Valley Bar Association from 2006 until his appointment to the bench. While a member of the West Virginia State Bar Association he served on the Young Lawyers Committee and received a Certificate of Merit in 1997. He also served the Bar as the Sixteenth District’s Grievance Committee member.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin appointed Carl to the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit in 2013. He was elected in 2014.
Carl is a member of the West Virginia Judicial Association and has been appointed to the Education Committee. He was appointed to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on Temporary Assignment for a Justice recusal in August 2014.
Carl and his wife, Lisa, have three children and reside in Romney.
For more information about the Business Court Division, visit the website at http://www.courtswv.gov/lower-courts/business-court-division/index.html.