SENATE RESOLUTION 204

(By Senator Trump)

[By Request of the House Managers and Counsel for Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker]

[Introduced September 11, 2018.]

Publicly reprimanding and censuring Chief Justice Margaret L. Workman and Justice Elizabeth D. Walker of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Whereas, Chief Justice Margaret Workman was named in Articles IV and VI of the Articles of Impeachment, which allege overpayment of senior status judges; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker were named in Article of Impeachment XIV, which alleges that the Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals generally and collectively failed to provide or prepare policies and reasonable supervisory oversight of the operations of the Court and in the absence of such policies and oversight, wasted state funds on unnecessary renovations, travel, computers for home use, lunches, and the framing of personal items; and

Whereas, The House of Delegates also adopted House Resolution 203 censuring all then-sitting Justices related to their conduct concerning, among other things, the spending on their personal offices; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker have accepted full responsibility for all spending on renovations to their personal offices over which they exercised or should’ve exercised spending oversight and approval; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker have previously and publicly acknowledged indefensible spending by the Court and the absence of appropriate policies and practices that likely would have prevented that indefensible spending; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker have publicly acknowledged the need for changed policies and practices to rebuild public trust in the Court; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker have begun and will continue to implement reforms to improve the administration of the Court and prevent future inappropriate expenditures and to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing the conduct of the Court; and

Whereas, Justice Walker has not served as Chief Justice over the Court or Judicial Branch in the time that she has served on the Supreme Court of Appeals; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker support increased legislative oversight, transparency, and accountability of the Supreme Court of Appeals; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker accept personal and institutional responsibility for the Court’s failure to enact certain specific policies as described in Article XIV in the Articles of Impeachment; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby publicly reprimands and censures Chief Justice Margaret L. Workman and Justice Elizabeth D. Walker of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Chief Justice Workman and Justice Walker.