Former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Thomas McHugh dies at 88
Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Thomas McHugh listens to arguments in Charleston, W.Va., Jan. 11, 2011. McHugh died Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, the court announced in a press release. He was 88. Credit: AP/Robert Wojcieszak
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. McHugh died Tuesday, the court announced in a news release. He was 88.
McHugh was once quoted as saying he “retired twice” from the court, having served two distinct tenures as a justice.
McHugh was first elected to the state Supreme Court of Appeals for a 12-year term as a Democrat in 1980. He was re-elected in 1992 before retiring in 1997 to resume practicing law.
In 2008, then-Chief Justice Elliott E. “Spike” Maynard named McHugh to temporarily replace Justice Joseph P. Albright after he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Albright died in 2009, and then-Gov. Joe Manchin appointed McHugh to the vacant seat. He left the court in 2013 after being elected in 2010 to serve the remainder of Albright's term.
In a statement, State Court of Appeals Justice Beth Walker said McHugh was “a model of distinguished service and civility.”
Born in Charleston in 1936, McHugh was a 1958 graduate of West Virginia University. Prior to becoming a Supreme Court justice, McHugh served as a circuit court judge.
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