Longtime Cabell prosecutor to become a judge

The longtime prosecuting attorney in Cabell County will soon be taking a seat on the bench.

On Tuesday, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced the appointment of Chris Chiles to the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Cabell County.

After more than 30 years as a prosecutor in Cabell County, Chiles will replace now retired Cabell County Circuit Judge David Pancake who had held the role for more than 15 years.

Pancake was first appointed back in 1998.

A Cabell County native, Chiles started out as an assistant prosecutor in 1982 before taking over as the elected Cabell County prosecuting attorney in 1990. 

“After 30 years of doing the same thing, I thought it would be exciting to try to serve the public in a slightly different way,” he said.

“A prosecutor’s job is to try to see that justice is done as much as possible in all cases and I’ve tried to do that.  As circuit judge, I will get to continue serving the people of Cabell County and I will get to continue trying to see that justice is done to the best of my ability in all cases I handle.”

Chiles will switch jobs in three weeks and serve out the remainder of Pancake’s term which runs through the end of 2014.

A special two week long filing period for the full judicial term, which will be on the May primary ballot, opened Tuesday and continues through Feb. 17.  Chiles said he would file to run in the coming days.

It will be up to the Cabell County Commission to select a new prosecuting attorney to serve out the remainder of Chiles’ term.