|Photo provided|Charles Lorensen, a former gubernatorial chief of staff and cabinet secretary, is joining the new West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.

CHARLESTON – Charles Lorensen, a former gubernatorial chief of staff and cabinet secretary, is joining the new West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Gov. Jim Justice announced Tuesday he appointed Lorensen to the vacant seat on the intermediate court left after Wheeling attorney and Ohio County Commissioner Don Nickerson withdrew his acceptance for the post.

The Senate approved Lorensen’s appointment Tuesday morning when it approved a list of confirmations presented by Justice before the Legislature ended its two-day special session. With the confirmation in hand, Lorensen will begin his duties on July 1 for a term ending Dec. 31, 2028.

Lorensen is an attorney with Kay, Casto and Chaney in Charleston. He was the former chief of staff to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin from 2012 to 2016. He served two stints as a cabinet secretary for the state Department of Revenue, first from 1989 to 1990, and from 2011 to 2012. Lorensen also served as the State Tax Commissioner.

After leaving government service in 2016, Lorensen worked as an attorney for Stonerise Healthcare. Lorensen has also worked for the Jackson Kelly law firm and he opened his own private practice, George and Lorensen, from 1992 to 2010.

Lorensen replaces Nickerson, an attorney at Spilman Thomas & Battle. Nickerson cited the financial costs associated with driving back and forth between Wheeling and Charleston, where the new intermediate court will be permanently located, as his reason for resigning from the intermediate court along with the costs of travel for his staff.

Nineteen attorneys applied.

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals purchased City Center East for the intermediate court’s new and first headquarters at the beginning of March for $7.5 million. The court already leases half of the office space in the 12-story building for other functions of the judicial system, such as Administrative Office Divisions of Children and Juvenile Services, Court Services, Information Technology, Grant Services, Magistrate Court Services and Probation Services.

Justice appointed the court’s three judges at the end of 2021, though future judges will be elected in staggered, non-partisan terms. Justice appointed Huntington attorney Thomas Scarr for a term ending in 2024 and former Kanawha County circuit court judge Dan Greear for a term ending in 2026.

Starting in July, the intermediate court will hear noncriminal appeals of circuit court cases, family court cases and guardianships and conservatorships, appeals of administrative law judge decisions and final orders and decisions by the state Health Care Authority. The intermediate court also replaces the Workers’ Compensation Office of Administrative Judges with a Workers’ Compensation Board of Review from where decisions can be appealed to the intermediate court.

The Legislature created the court with Senate Bill 275 in April after years of attempts. The new court is meant to help take the load off of the Supreme Court and allow the justices to focus on precedent-setting legal cases. The Supreme Court will still have the ability to seek jurisdiction over civil cases appealed to the intermediate court. Parties in cases would also be able to appeal to the Supreme Court, which could hear cases on its own discretion.

While the court will be staffed up and ready by July, the intermediate court may begin hearing its first cases in September.