Justice Tim Armstead will be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia beginning January 1, 2024.
The Supreme Court has also designated Justice William R. “Bill” Wooton as chief justice in 2025. Justice Wooton will serve as acting chief justice in 2024 whenever Justice Armstead is disqualified from a case or if he is otherwise unable to serve.
Justice Tim Armstead was appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and took office September 25, 2018. He was elected November 6, 2018, to retain the seat until the end of the term that ended December 31,2020, and was elected on June 9, 2020, to a 12-year term that began January 1, 2021.
Justice Armstead became Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2015 and was re-elected in 2017. Prior to serving as Speaker of the House, he had been Minority Leader since 2006 and a member of the House since 1998.
Justice Armstead began his public service career as a press intern for Governor Arch Moore. He later worked as Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff of Governor Cecil Underwood. He served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge David A. Faber.
He served on the Gover-nor’s Cabinet on Children and Families during the administration of Governor Under-wood and on the Board of the Elk River Community Council. He is a member of the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit. He also is a Knight of the Golden Horseshoe.
Tim Armstead is a graduate of Braxton County High School, the University of Charleston and West Virginia University College of Law. He lives in Elkview with his wife, Anna. They have one daughter, a grandson and a granddaughter.
Justice Armstead previously served as chief justice in 2020.
Chief Justice Walker said, “I am proud of all we have been able to accomplish this year. Under Chief Justice Armstead, the court will remain committed to transparency, accountability, and civics education.”
“I am honored that my colleagues have chosen me to be chief justice again,” said Justice Armstead. “I thank Chief Justice Walker for the outstanding work she has done this year in enhancing the Court’s outreach and accessibility, particularly through establishing the West Virginia Judicial Learning Center. In the next year, I plan to continue her work in making our court more open to our citizens. I also intend to focus on issues related to the judiciary’s involvement in child abuse and neglect matters and the need to attract and retain qualified guardians ad litem who represent our most vulnerable children.”
Justice Wooton said, “I applaud Chief Justice Walker for her accomplishments this year, and I look forward to working with Chief Justice Armstead in 2024.”
