West Virginia Courts

In cases of legal disputes, you can approach the courts of West Virginia. The judicial experts frame laws, which are used as references by the legal institutions for the settlement of lawsuits. A multiple court system has been adopted in the state for adequate coverage of the state system in West Virginia.

The different West Virginia courts are:

•    The Supreme Court of Appeals
•    The Circuit Courts (present in thirty one judicial circuits)
•    The Family Courts
•    The Magistrate Courts
•    The Municipal Courts

Get Acquainted with the West Virginia Court System

The legal infrastructure present in West Virginia, as it stands now, has been framed in keeping with the Judicial Reorganization Amendment of 1982.

In West Virginia, the Supreme Court serves as the highest legal body of the state. As such, it reserves the sole authority to supervise and monitor the functioning of all the lower courts of the state. In the absence of a separate Courts of Appeals, the Supreme Court hears all appeals against the rulings of the Circuit Courts.

There are 31 Circuit Courts having 66 judges in the 55 counties of the state. These are the only trial courts in West Virginia that enjoy general jurisdiction. They enjoy jurisdiction over habeas corpus proceedings, misdemeanors and felonies, equity civil cases and those cases where the disputed amount is under $3000.

If you are not happy with the verdict of the Municipal Courts or the Magistrate Court, you can approach the Circuit Courts in the state. These courts also receives appeals related to workers’ compensation and from the administrative agencies.

Family Courts in the state have the jurisdiction to hear cases that are related to divorce and annulment, custody, visitation rights and other such cases.

Magistrate Courts in the state have the jurisdiction to issue search and arrest warrants, and hear cases of misdemeanor charges where the amount is equal to or less than $5,000. The website of the state Magistrate Courts is http://www.state.wv.us/WVSCA/magistrate.htm.

Municipal Courts on the other hand have the jurisdiction to hear cases that involve violations of local ordinances. The website of the state Municipal Courts is http://www.state.wv.us/WVSCA/municipal.htm.

Understanding the Court System in West Virginia

If you are planning to approach the court for whatever reason, it is important that you have a good understanding of the system. You must also have some general understanding of the various regulations. The state legal website can help you, and the address is http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca/wvsystem.htm.

Legalities Influencing the Functions of West Virginia Courts

There exists a set of laws, as framed by the legal personnel of West Virginia, that shape the way in which the courts of the state go about their business. These state level directives can be enumerated under the following:

•    Code of Judicial Conduct
•    Rules for Maintenance of Discipline Amongst Lawyers
•    Admission Laws for Practicing Law
•    Judicial Disciplinary Procedure Rules
•    Regulations for Professional Conduct