West Virginia Chamber Celebrates Intermediate Appellate Court
April 9, 2021
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the bi-partisan passage and signing of SB 275 which will create a new Intermediate Appellate Court in West Virginia. West Virginia will now join more than forty states to have an intermediate appellate court.
West Virginia Chamber President Steve Roberts said, “We were pleased to see the Governor sign SB 275 into law yesterday and finally, after more than a decade of work, make this new court a reality. The recommendation for West Virginia to create an IAC came from a commission formed in 2009 by then-Gov. Joe Manchin and chaired by none other than former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Creating this court has been a top priority of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce since that time.”
Roberts continued, “The new intermediate court is structured in a way that should speed up access to our circuit courts and provide a more thorough, predictable and stable body of law in our state. As Chief Justice Evan Jenkins stated yesterday, ‘the West Virginia Supreme Court will take the steps necessary to ensure the court operates in a way that promotes the public’s trust and confidence.’ The West Virginia Chamber is also pleased that legislators took care to structure this new court in a way that makes sure our most pressing cases, especially those dealing with abuse and neglect, will continue to go to the front of the line for resolution.
Many groups came together to make this new court a reality. Roberts concluded, “I cannot give enough thanks to the West Virginia Legislature for their focus on creating an intermediate appellate court. Charles Trump, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, deserves special thanks as he has been a steadfast proponent and this would not have been possible without his leadership. Moore Capito, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, also worked tirelessly to shepherd this bill through the House of Delegates. Numerous other legislators and legislative leaders including House Speaker Roger Hanshaw and Senate President Craig Blair worked with us to pass this important bill. I would also be remiss if I did not thank the strong partnerships with our colleagues at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, and Americans for Prosperity for making this day a reality.”
West Virginia’s new intermediate appellate court is slated to begin operations on July 1, 2022.
Members of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce are your small business neighbors. Chamber members employ over half of our state’s workforce and are found in every county and region of our state. More information on the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce can be found at www.wvchamber.com.