www.judgeyoder.com
Facebook page: John Yoder for WV Supreme Court.
About John
Judge John Yoder is running as a Republican for a 12 year term on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. There are 2 open seats on the Supreme Court in the 2012 election.
Judge Yoder is currently a Circuit Judge in the 23rd Judicial Circuit of West Virginia. He holds court in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties, and is the supervising judge in Morgan County. He has a very distinguished career, which includes service in all three branches of government as well as a career in the private sector.
After serving four years as a state circuit judge from 1976-1980, Judge Yoder was the only person selected in a national competition to serve at the United States Supreme Court as a Supreme Court Fellow in 1980. After his service as a Fellow, the Chief Justice of the United States hired him to work on his staff. President Reagan next appointed him to establish and run a new subdivision at the U.S. Department of Justice. After that, he was elected as and served as a West Virginia State Senator for eight years prior to getting elected as a Circuit Judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit in 2008.
Judge Yoder has been a voice for judicial reform and positive change in the judicial system. He strongly believes in the rule of law and in upholding the fairness and integrity of the judicial system. He also seeks to break the stranglehold of the Charleston political establishment on the State Supreme Court, so that disenfranchised areas outside of Charleston have representation on the Supreme Court. Four justices are now from Charleston and one is from Huntington. The Charleston area only makes up 10% of the State’s population. Yoder believes the other 90% should receive fair representation on the Supreme Court.
Judge Yoder holds a B.A. degree with majors in government and economics from Chapman University, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law, and an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. He is also a graduate of several programs at the National Judicial College and the National College of Juvenile Justice.
In 2010, Judge Yoder was the Republican Nominee for a 2 year unexpired term for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. In the general election, he was narrowly defeated by the incumbent, Justice Thomas McHugh, by a margin of 50.8% to 49.2%. Judge Yoder expanded only approximately $6,000 in the race compared to nearly $300,000 expanded by his opponent. Justice McHugh is not running for re-election in 2012, so he will not be running against an incumbent this year as he was in 2010.
