WHEELING - A Mingo County attorney with ties to the Northern Panhandle announced Wednesday she will seek a seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2012.
Democrat Letitia Neece Chafin is a Weirton native and graduate of Brooke High School who also is married to state Sen. Truman Chafin - an eight-term Democrat representing Mingo County. Letitia Chafin noted that while she is no stranger to campaigns, this is her first run for public office.
Chafin serves as managing partner with the H. Truman Chafin law firm in Williamson, W.Va., and is the immediate past president of the West Virginia State Bar. She also is an ex-officio member of the state's Judicial Advisory Commission.
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LETITIA CHAFIN
Brooke native is married to State Sen. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo
She arrived by small aircraft at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport on Wednesday following stops in Parkersburg and Morgantown as part of a statewide tour to kick off her campaign.
"As an attorney in a small law firm, I have done everything from adoptions to writs of prohibition before the Supreme Court ... ," she said. "Now I'm willing to step up and make a positive difference with my experiences and apply them as a member of the West Virginia Supreme Court."
Chafin added that many have asked her why she is running for the bench.
"The answer is very simple," she said. "I think that seeking public office is the highest form of public service. Throughout this campaign, I will strive to keep discourse at a level that is respectful of the dignity of the West Virginia Supreme Court. And I will always keep in mind that the court is bigger than any one individual.
"My strength as an attorney is in the courtroom trying cases, and I have extensive litigation experience," she continued. "That experience is going to serve me well on the bench."
Two seats on the court will be up for election in 2012 - those currently held by Justices Robin Jean Davis and Thomas McHugh, both Democrats. Davis has announced she will seek re-election, while McHugh has indicated he will not.
"There is one open seat, and I am focused on it," Chafin said.
She is a graduate of Marshall University who obtained her law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in both West Virginia and Kentucky and has three daughters.