How this headline may connect to industries in Virginia. Technical scores are below — click any ? for what a metric means.
Judge Douglas credits Eastern Panhandle support in ceremonial swearing-in for appeals court seat
VirginiaGDELTGDELT event6% biasedTue, Jun 9, 2026, 12:00 AM
1 of 17 sentences classified as biased · Model: roberta-anno-lexical-ft-v1
Judge Douglas credits Eastern Panhandle support in ceremonial swearing-in for appeals court seat.MARTINSBURG - Newly elected Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Jim Douglas returned to the Eastern Panhandle this week to thank supporters and take part in a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony, saying the region played a decisive role in his statewide victory.Douglas, a longtime family court judge from Kanawha County, repeatedly emphasized that his success in the November election was rooted in years of building relationships in the Eastern Panhandle."I would not be standing here if it were not for Berkeley County," Douglas told attendees."I would not have prevailed if it were not for Jefferson County." Douglas was formally sworn in by Family Court Judge Sally Jackson, while longtime Berkeley County Circuit Clerk Virginia Sine held the Bible he was sworn in on.Douglas won election to the Intermediate Court of Appeals after campaigning on his nearly 40 years of experience as a divorce attorney and nearly a decade as a family court judge.He said his practical courtroom experience distinguished him from other candidates."Experience means everything," Douglas said."I've stood in courtrooms, looked up at judges, made arguments, and I've sat there as a judge having to make decisions very quickly." The Intermediate Court of Appeals handles appeals involving workers' compensation, administrative agencies and most family court matters.Douglas said his extensive background in family law made the position a natural fit."What's more important than families and kids?" he said."I live and breathe family law." Throughout the evening, Douglas highlighted the growing political influence of the Eastern Panhandle, arguing that the region has become one of the state's most important political centers."I know whether anybody wants to admit it, the Eastern Panhandle is where political power is in the state now," he said.The judge-elect also said he hopes to spend more time in the Eastern Panhandle during his 10-year term, noting that appellate judges are not required to live in Charleston."I have not forgotten the Panhandle," Douglas said."And I can assure everybody in these counties that I will not forget.I've got a 10-year term, and I will not forget the Eastern Panhandle." Douglas officially begins serving on the Intermediate Court of Appeals on Jan.