Pocahontas County ranks 52nd in court costs compared with West Virginia's other counties, according to The West Virginia Court System Annual Report 2010 issued last week.

Total court costs, including circuit court, family court and magistrate court totaled $439,662. Magistrate court was the most expensive here, with a total of $384,764.

The report said 220 cases were filed in Pocahontas County Circuit Court (cost, $31,909); more than half of those were civil cases, 23.6 percent (about 52) were criminal cases and 17.7 percent were juvenile cases. The circuit court caseload decreased 7.2 percent compared to 2009, the report said.
Compare that to Pocahontas County Magistrate Court, where 1,786 cases were filed, still a decrease of 10.2 percent from 2009. More than 73 percent (about 1,304) of magistrate court cases were criminal, 14.5 percent were special proceedings and 12.2 percent were civil cases.

In family court (cost, $22,990), 203 new cases were filed, while 74 modification and 64 contempt proceedings were held. Court filings increased by 23 percent compared to 2009.

Greenbrier County, which shares the Eleventh Circuit with Pocahontas, spent a total of $2.8 million, just over the state average of $2 million, on its three courts, most of it in circuit court with $1.7 million.

The circuit court there saw 825 cases filed, more than half of them civil suits. Criminal cases (about 181) amounted to 21.9 percent of that total, and 20.6 percent were juvenile cases. The annual report said Greenbrier County Circuit Court saw an increase in activity of 3.8 percent over 2009.

More than 4,000 cases were filed in Greenbrier County Magistrate Court (cost, $762,751), a decrease of 8.3 percent. About 337 (67.3 percent) were criminal cases, 11.4 percent were special proceedings and 21.2 percent were civil cases.
Greenbrier County spent $264,668 on its family court where 723 new cases were filed.

Circuit Judges James Rowe and Joseph Pomponio serve the Eleventh Circuit. The Family Court Judge in Pocahontas County is Jeffrey L. Hall. Kathy L. Beverage and Janet L. Kershner-Vanover are magistrates.

The circuit clerk in 2010 was Earl Michael, who retired. Connie Carr was elected to that position in 2010.

Donna Meadows Price is Prosecuting Attorney.

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