Will Thompson, who has practiced in Boone County since the late 1990s, has been chosen by Governor Joe Manchin to replace E. Lee Schlaegel, who tendered his resignation in late December. Schlaegel has been serving in a temporary position until a replacement could be appointed ever since his retirement.
Thompson met with representatives of Manchin’s office last Friday evening and was told a final answer would be forthcoming yesterday. He was informed of the governor’s decision Tuesday afternoon.
While the new judge will be sworn in sometime in the next two weeks, he will have to attend a training seminar for newly appointed jurists on Feb. 19 Thompson said he will likely be forced to recuse himself, however, from a number of upcoming criminal trials and pleadings, since a small number of those charged by the grand jury in early January are either his clients, or his law firm had represented them in the past. Thompson is an associate in the Madison firm of Cook and Cook.
William Thompson is a 1988 graduate of Scott High School, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Thompson, owners of Danville Lumber. He is a graduate of both the WVU School of Engineering and the West Virginia University College of Law. Thompson graduated law school in three years.
He and his wife Amy, a former social worker, have five children. They include Sarah, Lilli, and Gracie Haley, and Will and Claire Thompson. They make their home in Madison.
“I am gratified that Gov. Manchin saw fit to appoint me to this position,” Thompson told CVN. “It will be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me to be able to help administer justice in Boone County, and I hope I make everyone who encouraged me to see this position proud of me. I would be gratified to spend the remainder of my legal career in this position, if the people will have me.”
Thompson will fill the remaining months of Schlaegel’s current term, and will have to run for election in 2008.
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