CHARLESTON — The Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission is looking to fill vacancies in the 13th and 14th judicial circuits.
Vacancies are being made by the retirement of Judge Louis Bloom in the 13th Judicial Circuit and Judge Richard A. Facemire in the 14th Judicial Circuit.
The 13th circuit encompasses Kanawha County, while the 14th circuit encompasses Braxton, Clay, Gilmer and Webster Counties.
Candidates must submit completed applications and letters of recommendation by 5 p.m. on Aug. 8. Interviews will be held on Aug. 22 in Charleston for the positions.
Facemire authored a letter to the state Supreme Court announcing his retirement effective June 30 after holding his position on the bench for more than 22 years.
Facemire was elected in 2000 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2016. Prior to that, he had served as a law clerk in the 1980s, was a private practice attorney in the 1990s, as well as an attorney for the West Virginia Bureau of Child Support and also served as the prosecutor in Clay County from 1985 until 1992.
Facemire will serve as a senior status judge for the 14th Judicial Circuit until his successor is chosen.
Bloom is also retiring effective June 30. He was elected in 2000 and has served on the bench since. He was previously a Kanawha County Commission for four years.
“I feel good about the decision because we have almost a whole new bench and really a bunch of good qualified people and I feel like I’m leaving the Kanawha County judiciary in very good hands,” Bloom told MetroNews earlier this month. “I’m really looking to doing mediations. I’ve obviously done a lot of that in helping resolve cases that were before me over the years."