CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chief Justice John Hutchison today appointed Circuit Judge Alan D. Moats to sit temporarily on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia to fill the vacancy left by Justice Evan Jenkins’ resignation on Friday.

Judge Moats has been a judge in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit (Barbour and Taylor Counties) since January 1, 1997, when then-Governor Gaston Caperton appointed him to the bench. He was elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2008 and 2016.

He will serve on the Supreme Court until Governor Jim Justice appoints someone to fill the seat.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be appointed to the court to fulfill this temporary assignment. I have the utmost respect for all of our justices and look forward to working with each of them,” Judge Moats said.

Judge Moats is the Chair of the Mass Litigation Panel, Chair of the Judicial Investigation Commission, a past president of the West Virginia Judicial Association, an advisory member of the West Virginia Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority, and a former state delegate to the National Conference of State Trial Judges.

Judge Moats was born and raised in Grafton. He has a 1974 bachelor’s degree in English from West Virginia University and a 1977 law degree from West Virginia University College of Law.

He was the assistant prosecutor in Taylor County from 1977 to 1984 and was then elected Taylor County Prosecutor from 1985 to 1996. He maintained a private law practice from 1977 to 1996.

He and his wife, Connie, have a son and a daughter.