CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – William R. “Bill” Wooton was sworn into office for a 12-year-term on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in a ceremony Wednesday.
“My aspiration as a Justice is to emulate the truly outstanding work of Justice Workman,” said Justice-Elect Wooton. “It’s an honor to join the Court.”
The Beckley attorney was elected in June to replace Justice Margaret Workman, who retires on New Year’s Eve. Wooton’s term will begin January 1.
Justice Workman told Justice-Elect Wooton: “Being a judge, the most important thing is to come on the bench with an open mind. When you come out here you are open to persuasion. When you go into the conference room it’s very important for each of the five Justices to listen to each other and respect each other.”
Justice-Elect Wooton served in the West Virginia Legislature for 26 years and was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 10 years. Wooton served in both the House of Delegates and the West Virginia Senate. He is a permanent member of the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit and is a West Virginia Bar Foundation Fellow.
Wooton says he’s looking forward to working with all the current Justices, who he
believes are committed to fairness, integrity, the rule of law and to following statutes as
well as rules and norms of the judiciary.
The Beckley attorney was educate in Raleigh County public schools and received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Marshall University and a law degree from West Virginia University College of Law. He also servied in the United States Army Reserve and the West Virginia Army National Guard. Justice-Elect Wooton was a longtime member of the Beckley Rotary Club and the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout his career in law, he has served as an Assistant West Virginia Attorney General and an Assistant Raleigh County Prosecutor. Wooton practiced law in Beckley from 1977 until 2020 with multiple firms.
