This illustrates why election of judges, especially at the state supreme court level, doesn’t make sense. The public knows nothing about these people but what campaign ads say, thus generally electing whoever spends the most and has the best consultants…and as with legislators, there are only two ways to get that kind of money. Either you’re already rich (in which case you aren’t likely to well represent most people) or you take money from special interests, who expect favors in return.

I knew Walker would be bad because I was involved in anti-coal stuff; but the stuff I got in my mailbox from her campaign was all about how great it would be to have a woman on the supreme court–as though it was unprecedented.

In fact, now there is a female majority, but, it seems, only one with the integrity heretofore expected of females. And isn’t it ironic that Benjamin, placed on the court by Blankenship’s money, turned out to have too much integrity and was removed in part by more Blankenship money.

Mary Wildfire, Roane County, WV

From an Article of U S News, Associated Press, May 30, 2017

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – A justice on West Virginia’s highest court has issued a blistering rebuke to the other four jurists who ruled that natural gas companies can deduct post-production costs from the royalties paid to landowners for mineral rights.

Justice Robin Jean Davis’ dissent, released Monday, says there was no basis in law for the court even to grant a rehearing to Pittsburgh-based EQT Production Co. or reverse the court’s November ruling against deductions.

The Supreme Court’s 4-1 decision Friday was written by Chief Justice Allen Loughry with Justices Menis Ketchum and recently elected Elizabeth Walker concurring.

Justice Margaret Workman agreed adding deductions shouldn’t abuse landowners.

A 1982 state law set minimum royalties of 12.5 percent of gas produced at the wellhead.

Davis says the majority “used legal sophistry to fool only itself.”