Morrisey appoints Fayette County Circuit Judge to WV Supreme Court of Appeals

by Caity Coyne, West Virginia Watch
August 6, 2025

Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Wednesday appointed Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Ewing to the state Supreme Court of Appeals.

Ewing will fill the judicial seat previously held by former Justice Beth Walker, who retired from the bench in June. He was one of four candidates recommended to Morrisey by the state’s Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission to take the seat.

“Judge Ewing has demonstrated that he is a man of integrity and that he approaches his role as a judge the right way,” Morrisey said in a news release. “His written orders and decisions reflect careful consideration of the issues he is asked to rule on and concern for the rule of law. And he has shown that he cares about West Virginia.”

Ewing has served as a circuit court judge in Fayette County — where he was raised — since being appointed in 2018. He retained the judicial seat after winning elections in 2020 and 2024.

While in that position, he has presided over the county’s adult treatment court, family treatment court, teen court and the Fayette County Truancy Diversion Program.

As circuit court judge, Ewing has sat and ruled on several state Supreme Court cases by temporary assignment, including a controversial case last year regarding high school football championships. That background, Morrisey said, means Ewing “comes to this position with valuable experience on the state’s high court.”

Before his appointment in 2018, Ewing spent over a decade working as an attorney with Kay, Casto & Chaney, PLLC. From 2015-2018, he served as the managing member for the firm’s Fayetteville office.

Ewing holds two bachelor’s degrees — one in education and another in history — from Glenville State College. In 2004, he graduated with his law degree from West Virginia University.

“I am honored that Gov. Morrisey has appointed me as a justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals,” Ewing said. “I look forward to bringing my dedication to the rule of law and my seven years of experience as a circuit judge to our state’s highest appellate court.”

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