Judge Takes Emergency Medical Leave

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Putnam County Family Court Judge William M. Watkins left the bench Friday on emergency medical leave, saying in a letter to Chief Justice Brent Benjamin that his doctor advised him to step down immediately. Chief Justice Brent Benjamin appointed former Family Court Judge Deloris Nibert as a temporary replacement. Watkins faces ethics violations alleging that he delayed rulings, failed to enter domestic violence orders into the state's tracking system and screamed and cursed at litigants. Recently, the state Judicial Hearing Board recommended that Watkins be suspended until the end of his term in 2016. The state Supreme Court is in the process of considering disciplinary proceedings against Watkins and is scheduled to begin hearing oral arguments on February 5th.