CHARLESTON – The state Judicial Investigation Commission has publicly admonished a Mercer County magistrate for selling jewelry and posting inappropriate memes on social media.
The admonishment, published August 4, says Susan Honaker began selling jewelry as a side business in 2018. Magistrates are not allowed to have other jobs without prior approval from the court administrative director.
The JIC says Honaker purchased the jewelry from an online company and sold it for a profit. She sold the jewelry on Facebook, and her page there also included photos of her at the courthouse, being sworn into office and campaigning for magistrate.
“A scroll through respondent’s Facebook page contained approximately 21 live sale videos from 2022, 35 live sale videos from 2021, 19 live sale videos from 2020, and 18 live sale videos from 2018-2019 for a total of approximately 93 live sale videos in five years,” the admonishment states. “During her July 26, 2023, sworn statement, respondent also admitted to at least two live-jewelry sales on her Facebook page in 2023 even though no copy of them remains.”
It also says Honaker recently sold a pair of Nike tennis shoes for a male relative for $20. The photo of the shoes clearly was taken in her magistrate office, according to the JIC filing.
“Respondent also admitted during her sworn statement that she occasionally sold jewelry at the courthouse,” the admonishment states. “On one occasion in 2019 or 2020, respondent brought jewelry to the courthouse. She set up the items on a counsel table in a magistrate courtroom during lunch and sold her wares to employees there. She has also been known to take jewelry to different offices in the courthouse to sell to employees.”
Honaker also admitted to using her work computer for the business.
“Several times, not anytime recent though when I would not have any court and would be in my office to wait on arraignments, DVPS, PSOS, warrants or any other court related issues to come in I have went to (the company’s site) on my computer just to look at what new jewelry that (they) had, however as soon as my assistant would call and say for example, can you do an arraignment, DVP, PSO or whatever, I immediately said sure and closed out the website,” Honaker said, according to the filing.
In addition, Honaker received online payments through apps linked to her court email address. The filing notes about 135 PayPal transactions totaling more than $3,400. It says Honaker also did not disclose this income on her mandatory Financial Disclosure Statements.
The JIC also notes inappropriate memes on Honaker’s Facebook page. One included a woman wearing a bikini and an ankle monitor filling a car with gasoline. It said, “Summers Close Enough. Time To Strut Those Bikinis and Ankle Monitors.”
Honaker told the JIC she posted them as jokes.
“I do see now that was of poor judgement and I do sincerely apologize for that,” Honaker told the JIC.
Because she had no prior disciplinary actions, the JIC found that formal discipline wasn’t necessary. The filing was signed by JIC Chairman Alan D. Moats.
West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission case number 72-2023