Menis Ketchum

Ketchum was born and raised in Wayne County, West Virginia, the son of attorney Chad Ketchum (1911–98). A graduate of a West Virginia public school, Ketchum attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio from 1960-64. Upon returning to West Virginia, he enrolled at the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown. In 1967, he obtained his Juris Doctorate.

Ketchum returned to Huntington, West Virginia to practice law with his father in the law firm of Greene, Ketchum & Baker in 1967. He practiced law with Greene, Ketchum, Bailey & Tweel and was senior partner from 1980 until his election to the Supreme Court.

Ketchum was appointed to the Marshall University Board of Governors by then-Governor Bob Wise in 2002. He resigned on January 2, 2008, while serving as Vice-Chairman, to campaign for a seat on the Supreme Court of Appeals.

Election

Ketchum in September 2008.

Four Democrats filed for two seats on the State Supreme Court for the 2008 elections. In addition to Ketchum, they were former Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Margaret Workman, the first woman to serve on the state's high court, WVU law professor and ballot access advocate Bob Bastress, and incumbent Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard. Ketchum and Workman defeated Justice Maynard and competed against Republican candidate Beth Walker in the 2008 general election. In the November 4, 2008, general election, Ketchum received 34.54% of the vote to 33.68% for Workman. Walker received 31.78% of the vote.

Ketchum was sworn in on the Supreme Court of Appeals on December 18, 2008 and officially took his seat on January 1, 2009.[3]

In 2016, Ketchum was named as the new vice president of the Conference of Chief Justices, an association of the top jurists of the states and territories.[4] In 2017, he published "Pattern Jury Instructions," which took him five years to compile. The purpose of the instructions is so that "trial lawyers and judges to have at their disposal legally correct instructions that are understandable to a lay jury."[5]

In 2018 WCHS-TV and other media began an inquiry into the court's spending. It was found that Ketchum used a state owned Buick for regular commuting purposes without reporting this as a fringe benefit on his income tax, used the Buick for several personal trips to Virginia and was paid slightly less than $1,700 in improper travel reimbursements. He then repaid the $1,700 and restated his taxes for the years in question.[1]

On July 11, 2018, he announced his intent to resign from the court effective July 27, 2018. On July 31, 2018, he entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in Charleston to a felony count of wire fraud. He faced up to 20 years in prison.[2] On October 4, 2018, the Supreme Court of Appeals, due to Ketchum's criminal conviction, accepted the disciplinary recommendation of the state's Lawyer Disciplinary Board and officially annulled Ketchum's license to practice law in the state of West Virginia.[6]

Married to the former Judy Varnum since 1966, the couple has three children and six grandchildren. Their son, Bert, is also a partner in his father's law firm.

• Biography - Supreme Court of Appeals website