Larry Starcher

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Larry Victor Starcher (September 25, 1942 – December 24, 2022) was an American jurist who was a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia . In November 1996, he was elected as a Democrat in a partisan election to the Supreme Court of Appeals. He served as chief justice in 1999 and 2003.

Contents

• 1 Education

• 2 Career

• 3 Death

• 4 Awards and associations

• 5 Popular culture

• 6 References

Education

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A native of Roane County, West Virginia , Starcher earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1964 from West Virginia University and his Juris Doctor in 1967 from the West Virginia University College of Law .

Career

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Prior to being elected as a circuit judge of Monongalia County in 1976, he served as an assistant to the Vice-President for Off-Campus Education at WVU, as director of the North Central West Virginia Legal Aid Society, and as a private lawyer. He served as circuit judge for 20 years (1977-1996), including 18 as chief judge. While sitting as a circuit judge, Starcher served as a special judge in 23 of West Virginia’s 55 counties. He presided over the trial of 20,000 asbestos injury cases and a six-month state buildings asbestos trial.

In November 1996, he was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals as a Democrat in a partisan election. He served as chief justice in 1999, and 2003. He promoted action in several areas of judicial administration, specifically: court facilities committee; public trust and confidence in the judiciary; mental hygiene commission; court technology summit; self-represented litigants task force; state law library improvements; and reactivated the gender fairness task force.

Starcher had been highly critical of the actions of the executive of a coal company who had business before the court, which led to him recusing himself in at least some decisions involving that company. He criticized a fellow Justice who won election with large contributions from the coal company executive and then cast deciding votes in favor of the company.

The situation led to a U. S. Supreme Court case, Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. , about when judges should recuse themselves.

Death

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Starcher died on December 24, 2022, at the age of 80.

Awards and associations

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Starcher was president of the West Virginia Judicial Association in 1992 and 1993. As a trial judge, he was active in the area of juvenile justice, including establishing alternative learning centers for youths at risk and a youth shelter. He also pioneered the use of work-release and community service as punishment for nonviolent offenders. He was a regular instructor at judicial conferences, and was honored by many civic and community groups, including the NAACP , Jaycees , Trial Lawyers, and Probation Officers. In 1978, he was a Fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities at Harvard University . Starcher also served as an adjunct lecturer at the West Virginia University College of Law from 1992.[_citation needed
_]

Popular culture

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In 2007, Starcher was cast as a jury member in the Marshall University courtroom drama, J.R. Clifford and the Carrie Williams Case. He was alongside Arley Johnson , Stephen J. Kopp , and David Felinton .

References

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1. ↑ Who's Who in American Law, 2002-2003 . Marquis Who's Who. 2002. p. 621.
2. ↑ Jones, Ashby (February 15, 2008). "Another Justice to Step Down in Massey Energy Case" . Law Blog. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
3. ↑ Liptak, Adam (October 11, 2008). "U.S. Supreme Court Is Asked to Fix Troubled West Virginia Justice System" . _The New York Times _. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
4. ↑ Liptak, Adam (October 1, 2006). "Case Studies: West Virginia and Illinois" . _The New York Times _. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
5. ↑ Totenberg, Nina (March 3, 2009). "W.Va. Case Tests When Judges Should Step Aside" . NPR. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
6. ↑ Kercheval, Hoppy (December 26, 2022). "Former Supreme Court Justice Larry Starcher dies" . WV MetroNews. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
7. ↑ "Marshall drama, seminar to honor state's first black lawyer" . West Virginia Record. O

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