West Virginia: Three Justices Won’t Hear Public Financing Case

Three justices of the supreme court of appeals recused themselves from hearing a constitutional challenge to the distribution of matching funds under the state’s pilot public financing program for supreme court races. The only candidate to participate in the program asserts that he is eligible to receive additional funding through the program, but the other side argues that the matching funds provision of the program is unconstitutional. The supreme court will hear arguments in the case on September 4. Three circuit judges have been appointed to replace the justices who recused themselves.