May 19, 2011

Manchin, Rockefeller Congratulate West Virginia Circuit Judge Gina Marie Groh on Nomination to the Federal Bench

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin released the following statements after President Obama nominated Judge Gina Marie Groh to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in Martinsburg.  This position became vacant in 2006 after the death of Judge W. Craig Broadwater. Rockefeller sent a letter to the White House in March requesting that Judge Groh be nominated for this federal judgeship.

“Judge Groh has always been a fair and compassionate judge and a leader in the legal community, and I’m confident those traits will serve her well as a federal judge,” said Rockefeller. “She has extensive legal knowledge and experience, and has spent over two decades honing her legal skills and building a distinguished resume.  I intend to work to make sure that the full Senate confirms her for this position.”

“When I was Governor of West Virginia, I was extremely proud to appoint Judge Groh to the state circuit court, and I am pleased that a jurist of her caliber has been nominated for the federal bench,” Senator Manchin said. “As a former prosecutor, she's fair-minded, has impeccable standards and will be an excellent addition to the court.”

Judge Groh is a Charles Town resident and currently serves as a Circuit Court Judge for West Virginia’s 23rd Judicial Circuit.  She was appointed to this position in 2006 and was elected in 2008 by the citizens of the Eastern Panhandle to serve a full term. Before becoming a Circuit Court Judge, she served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties for more than eight years – and she spent nine years as a Litigation Associate at firms in West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. 

Rockefeller also noted that Judge Groh has been involved in her community, from participating in “Robes to School” – a program that helps our school children learn about our judges and judicial process – to volunteering with the Meals With Love Ministry in Charles Town, West Virginia. 

Judge Groh earned her Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Shepherd University. She is admitted to practice before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts of Maryland, the District of Columbia and the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia.  

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