Relating to judges recusing themselves in certain instances

SB 142 requires West Virginia judges to recuse themselves from cases where a party's lawyer or law firm contributed more than $250 to the judge's campaign in the most recent election. It applies to circuit judges, Intermediate Court of Appeals judges, and Supreme Court justices. The bill includes a waiver process: if a judge learns of a contribution, they may ask parties and lawyers (outside court) to agree to forgo recusal, with any agreement recorded in the case file. The judicial council will advise the Supreme Court on implementing these recusal rules.