New judge taking oath of office in West Virginia this week

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A new judge is being sworn into office in West Virginia this week.

Maryclaire Akers will be sworn in as a circuit judge in Kanawha County on Tuesday. The 3 p.m. oath of office will be livestreamed on the Kanawha County Commission Facebook page, the state Supreme Court said in a news release.

Gov. Jim Justice appointed Akers to the seat vacated by the December death of Judge Charles King.

She has been chief of staff and a senior assistant prosecutor in the Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office. She has also been a special assistant U.S. attorney, general counsel for the West Virginia Ethics Commission and an assistant attorney general.