CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia Family Court Judge Louise E. Goldston submitted a letter officially declaring her intention to retire on Monday.
The news comes in the wake of the introduction of a resolution to the WV House of Delegates investigating misconduct involving violation of constitution rights. The retirement announcement – said to be effective as of Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at the close of business – was made in an official capacity one week to the day following the resolution’s official introduction.
“Please accept this letter as my notice of retirement from my position of Family Court Judge in the 13th Family Court Circuit,” reads the letter addressed to Governor Justice.
“My retirement will be effective January 31, 2023 at the close of business tomorrow. It has been my honor serving my constituents the past 28 1/2 years.”
“The main reason for the articles of impeachment is the fact that Judge Goldston said that she didn’t think she did anything wrong and that she would do it again, and plans to run for re-election,” Delegate Geoff Foster – the lead sponsor of the resolution – told LOOTPRESS. “If that’s the case then I think it’s incumbent upon the legislature within their authority of impeachment to make sure that the constituents are protected from that happening.”
Judge Goldston’s actions during a March 4, 2020 visit to the property of Matt Gibson, a divorce litigant before Goldston’s court, served as a key variable in subsequent investigations into the judge’s conduct.
The visit in question involved Judge Goldston descending upon Gibson’s property – along with Gibson’s ex-wife, Gibson’s ex-wife’s attorney, and a Raleigh County Sheriff’s Deputy – without a search warrant and rummaging through Gibson’s personal belongings.
Judge Goldston, who represents Raleigh County, Wyoming County, and Summers County, was found by the West Virginia Lawyer Disciplinary Board Investigative Panel to be in violation of Section 6, Article 3 of the Constitution of the State of West Virginia which protects citizens of West Virginia from unreasonable and warrantless searches and seizures, as well as Section 1, Article V of the Constitution of the State of West Virginia requiring the separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches of government.
“Judge Goldston clearly left her role as an impartial judicial officer and participated in an executive function when she entered the ex-husband’s home to oversee the search,” read documents corresponding with a disciplinary proceeding of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
The retirement announcement will result of a halt in action on House Resolution 6 according to House Speaker Roger Hanshaw.
“West Virginia Family court Judge Louise E. Goldston has announced her intent to retire, effective at the close of business today,” Speaker Hanshaw said Tuesday.
“On behalf of the West Virginia House of Delegates, we wish her well in retirement. As a result of her announcement, the House will take no further action on House Resolution 6.”
