Groh recommended for federal judgeship

U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller today has asked the White House to nominate Judge Gina M. Groh to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, in Martinsburg.
 
The position became vacant in 2006 with the death of Judge Craig Broadwater. 

“Judge Groh is a proven leader in West Virginia’s legal community and is
dedicated to upholding the principles of justice and fairness, which we expect from all members of our federal judiciary,” Rockefeller said.

Presides in Morgan Now a circuit judge for the Eastern Panhandle, Groh presides over criminal cases in Morgan County Circuit Court, among her other duties.

A Charles Town resident, she was appointed circuit judge by then-Governor Joe Manchin in 2006 and was elected to an eight-year term in 2008.

Before becoming a circuit judge, Groh was an assistant prosecuting attorney in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties for more than eight years. She spent nine years as a litigation associate at law firms in Martinsburg and Washington, D.C. 

“Judge Groh is an extremely strong candidate for this position and would carry on Judge Broadwater’s tradition of treating all litigants with respect and deciding cases in a fair manner,” Rockefeller said.

He added that he was surprised to learn that there is no record of a resident of the Eastern Panhandle elevated to a federal judgeship in West Virginia.
 
“I am happy to be the one to change that for the good of the Panhandle, the state and the nation,” Rockefeller said.

Manchin backs choice
Rockefeller’s nomination was seconded by Senator Joe Manchin, who said: “I was extremely proud to appoint Judge Groh to the circuit court when I was governor and I join Senator Rockefeller in recommending her for the federal bench.”

The senators also noted that Groh has been involved in the Jefferson County community, from participating in “Robes to Schools” – a program that helps school children learn about judges and judicial process – to volunteering with the Meals With Love Ministry in Charles Town.

Groh earned her Juris Doctor degree from the West Virginia University College of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Shepherd University.